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44
The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 The World Map of Microinsurance Published by Study conducted by In cooperation with www.worldmapofmicroinsurance.org The Microinsurance Network is funded by the Government of Luxembourg

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Page 1: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

The Landscape of Microinsurance

Africa 2015The World Map of Microinsurance

ldquoDeveloping partnerships to insure the worldrsquos poorrdquo

MICROINSURANCECENTRE

Published by Study conducted by

In cooperation with

wwwworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The Microinsurance Network is funded by the Government of Luxembourg

The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related laws It is strictly prohibited to reproduce an article from this publication in whole or in part without the written consent of the publisher

The quantitative information presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of products clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and provide an accurate picture of the market and its components

Layout cropmarklu

Printed by Reka on recycled paper

ISBN 978-99959-936-7-2

copy 2016 by Microinsurance Network

All rights reserved

The Microinsurance Network is kindly supported by the Luxembourgish Government

Disclaimer The views opinions and theories of all outputs of the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) Programme as contained herein are solely the views opinions and theories of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views opinions and theories of the Microinsurance Network its members andor its affiliated institutions as well as Sponsors and their related entities In addition the country and territory names borders andor scaled sizes depicted in this paper the WMM map images and the online interactive map are for illustrative purposes and do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the Microinsurance Network its members andor its affiliated institutions as well as sponsors and their related entities concerning the legal status of any country or territory or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries The Microinsurance Network makes no representation as to the accuracy completeness or reliability of any information views opinions and theories as may be contained herein The Microinsurance Network hereby disclaims any liability with this regards

of the grand duchy of luxembourgthe government

Agriculture

Property

Health

Accident

Credit Life

Life

Endowment

Savings life

Pensions

Funeral

Legend of Icons

climatiquement neutrenatureOfficecom | LU-319-510081

Impression

3

Contents

Contents 3 Figures maps and tables 4 Acknowledgements 4 Abbreviations 4

Foreword by Munich Re Foundation 5

Foreword by Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) 6

Executive Summary 7

1 Introduction 9

2 Landscape of microinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot 10

3 Business Case 12 Premiums 12 Claims 15 Administrative expenses 17 Commissions 19 Combined ratios ndash is it profitable 20 Spotlight on MNOs 22

4 Distribution 23

5 Market growth and evolution 25 New products 25 Discontinued products 26 Growth of ongoing products 26 Overall evolution of product types 27 Country-level development 27

6 The Way Forward 29

7 Appendices 31 Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance 31 Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study 34 Appendix C Key figures by country 37

4

CL Credit Life

FI Financial Institution

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GWP Gross Written Premium

IT Information Technology

KPIs Key Performance Indicators

1 USD exchange rates are the 2014 period average sourced from Oandacom as the average interbank bid rate for the past 1 year as of Jan 1st 2015

Abbreviations

Acknowledgements

LAC Latin America and the Caribbean

MFI Microfinance Institution

MI Microinsurance

MM Millions

MNO Mobile Network Operator

PA Personal Accident

POS Point of sale

PSF Family Health Programme

SME Small and Medium Sized Enterprise

USD United States Dollar1

WMM World Map of Microinsurance

Researchers

Mariah Mateo Sarpong Research CoordinatorFrancis Somerwell Research CoordinatorJada Tullos AndersonHeidi McGowanHannah Somma SonoJosepha L OtouEliza PaulRegina HammondAlyssa VillaireNeeta Karal Nair

The authors would like to extend a very special thank you to all the insurers and aggregators who used their time and efforts to provide data for this study Without their work and time in completing the extensive questionnaires and answering our multiple follow-up questions we would have nothing to report about the landscape of microinsurance in Africa Because of confidentiality these insurers and aggregators will not be named but their inputs are very much appreciated

Thank you also to the reviewers members of the World Map of Microinsurance Advisory Committee who improved the value of this document Dirk Reinhard Munich Re Foundation Bert Opdebeeck Belgian Raiffeisen Foundation and Denis Garand Denis Garand Associates

Katie BieseMichael J McCordMariah Mateo Sarpong

Figure 1 Microinsurance definition 9

Figure 2 Key figures 11

Figure 3 Africa gross written premiums total industry and microinsurance 12

Figure 4 Microinsurance gross written premium by product type 12

Figure 5 Comparable growth in GWP 2011-2014 12

Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD) 14

Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD) 14

Figure 8 Avg premium paid per life 2011-2014 (USD) 15

Figure 9 Aggregate claims ratios by region 15

Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type 15

Figure 11 Claims ratios by primary product type 16

Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type 18

Figure 13 Use of mobile phones in insurance processes 18

Figure 14 Use of technology in premium and claim payments 18

Figure 15 Proportion of products with commissions greater than 30 19

Figure 16 Commissions by distribution channel 19

Figure 17 Commissions by primary product type 19

Figure 18 Commissions vs administrative expenses 20

Figure 19 Range distribution of combined ratios in Africa and LAC 21

Figure 20 Combined ratios by product type 21

Figure 21 Insurersrsquo perspectives on the profitability of microinsurance 21

Figure 22 Proportion of products with combined ratios lt100 by product type 22

Figure 23 Mobile distribution 22

Figure 24 Lives covered by distribution channel 23

Figure 25 Lives covered products and premiums by distribution channel 23

Figure 26 Product types by distribution channel 23

Figure 27 Revenue and expenses by channel 24

Figure 28 New products 25

Figure 29 New product characteristics 25

Figure 30 Discontinued products 26

Figure 31 Status of discontinued products from 2011 26

Figure 32 Growth by type of product 27

Figure 33 Primary vs secondary covers 27

Figure 34 Country-level evolution ndash products providers and coverage ratios 28

Figure 35 Intentions of insurers that are not currently serving the low-income market 29

Figure 36 Top 5 reasons some insurers are not currently serving the low-income market 29

Figure 37 Top interventions needed to further develop microinsurance 29

Figure 38 Timeline of the landscape studies 32-33

Box 1 Why are claims ratios so low 16

Box 2 Terminology amp calculations for business case and other key indicators 36

Map 1 Microinsurance coverage in Africa 2014 10

Map 2 Microinsurance GWP as proportion of total industry GWP 13

Table 1 Microinsurance coverage in Africa over time 11

Table 2 Maximum annual premiums as per studyrsquos definition 34

Table 3 Gross written premiums by country ndash total insurance and microinsurance 37

Table 4 Identified lives covered by country 39

Table 5 Coverage ratios by country 40

Figures maps and tables

5

FOREWORD

Foreword by Munich Re Foundation

Microinsurance has been making great progress in recent years New markets are being explored and new products and operational strategies introduced A number of governments have started to develop regulatory frameworks to facilitate the devel-opment of innovative solutions As more and more stakeholders see the potential of microinsurance for business and development the need for a detailed and up-to-date overview of microinsurance activities increases

In 2006 first results from the ground-breaking study ldquoThe Landscape of Microinsur-ance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countriesrdquo were published Since 2012 annual re-gional landscape studies initiated by the Munich Re Foundation co-published with the Microinsurance Network have provided the data underpinning the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) The mission of the WMM project is to collect impartial data on the industry in order to reveal market potential monitor growth identify trends and promote innovation

We were very pleased to see that data from the WMM was used in the preparation of the 2015 G7 decision to provide an additional 400 million poor people with insurance against the risks of climate change by 2020 Although this is an unprecedented op-portunity a lot of challenges lie ahead A better understanding of the data required to support the decision-making process of the various market players is needed Accessibility and outreach must be improved In line with the Munich Re Foundationrsquos motto ldquofrom knowledge to actionrdquo we are convinced that reliable data on microinsur-ance markets is essential to the development of inclusive insurance markets and thus leads to better protection of the poor against various risks

This new Landscape Study on Africa provides important new information on opportu-nities for and challenges faced by microinsurance in the region We are very proud to be an active partner of the WMM project and we would like to thank all other sponsors and partners of this study especially Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) the Microinsurance Network team the research team led by the Microinsurance Centre the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuumlr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Dirk ReinhardVice Chairman

Munich Re Foundation

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

6

Foreword by Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A)

Insurance protects families livelihoods and communities from the financial loss of unanticipated events Vulnerability to risk is a constant in the lives of the poor and a cause of persistent poverty Microinsurance helps to protect the poor from often catastrophic events and therefore directly supports poverty alleviation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study provides valuable data that highlights and supports the growth of the industry in Africa Data facilitates market development by furthering best practices and supporting the development of products that better serve the needs of existing and potential clients

Whilst penetration rates have improved significantly in Africa in recent years much remains to be done for the microinsurance industry to achieve its full potential Af-ricarsquos penetration rates are less than 5 well below the rate of 78 in Latin America and the number of lives covered in Africa is less than a third of those covered in Asia

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study is critical to understanding the mi-croinsurance industry in Africa More importantly it provides a crucial information platform to engage industry stakeholders ndash policy makers regulators private sec-tor operators and development partners - around the changes needed to enable the sector to play its full role in poverty alleviation in Africa In so doing the study brings together three key strands of the activities and mandate of the partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) Research knowledge management and advocacy

The partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) is proud to be associated with this study We are also delighted to be cooperating with the Microinsurance Network the Munich Re Foundation the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuumlr Internationale Zusam-menarbeit (GIZ) as well as the MicroInsurance Centre

We hope that this Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study will make a significant contribution to advancing microinsurance on the continent

David Ashiagbor Coordinator

Making Finance Work for Africa

7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This study reports on the latest activi-ties and current state of microinsurance in Africa as identified by the latest re-gional landscape study as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme The 2014 data presented in this publication were collected from over 200 microinsurance providers representing all 36 of 54 Af-rican countries where microinsurance is available In aggregate these institu-tions generated a total of USD 756 mil-lion in microinsurance gross written premiums in 2014 In terms of outreach 618 million people or 54 of the total regional population was identified as be-ing covered by some type of microinsur-ance product

The study aims to provide a comprehen-sive understanding of the environment in which both microinsurance and tradi-tional insurers operate in order to pro-mote sustainability of the microinsur-ance sector in Africa With a focus on the needs of insurers this report is intended as a tool which offers valuable and ac-tionable market intelligence of emerging trends and highlights vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the region

Business case Of the USD 69 billion in premiums generated by the insurance industry in Africa in 2014 USD 756 mil-lion were in microinsurance premiums making up 11 of the total South Africa continues to dominate in terms of pre-miums but several other countries wrote microinsurance premiums that account for a significant share of their respective insurance markets Premium growth since the last landscape study in 2011 on an aggregate comparative basis was 63 The study identified a downward trend in claims with loss ratios through-

Executive summary

More than 200 providers from 36 of 54 African countries surveyed reported microinsurance activity The study identified the following

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written premiums reported

54 of the total population covered

618 million Total identified lives insured2

464 Life

131 Accident

164 Credit life

84 Health

45 Property

11 Agriculture3

2 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

3 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

out the region and across product lines being relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate) as opposed to the 44 aggregate loss ratio reported in 2011

In the region administrative costs ex-cluding commissions across all product lines accounted for about 25 of pre-miums in the aggregate (22 median) A wide range across product lines was found with agriculture products having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate In an effort to be more cost-effective the region has continued to increase its use of mobile phones espe-cially in terms of customer service and marketing Technology is increasingly being used in premium collection and claims payment however manual pro-cesses still dominate Fewer than half of the respondents were able to provide clear information on their microinsur-ance operating expenses and under 25 reported that they account separately for their microinsurance expenses on a regular basis In terms of commissions the median across distribution channels was just 10 (aggregate of 17) with the highest commissions being found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels Regard-ing combined ratios the data calculated showed clear profitability for more than two-thirds of products The median com-bined ratio was 73 (86 median)

MNOs Emerging as an increasingly popular distribution channel MNOs products accounted for 13 of total lives covered in the region in 2014 MNO dis-tributed products are inexpensive for clients but not for insurers with com-bined admin and commission costs of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distrib-

uted products) and a higher proportion going towards commissions By almost every measure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others Whilst one third of reporting insurers currently have some sort of MNO partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no inten-tion to partner or some interest but no plans

Distribution The shift to mass market products seen in LAC has happened to some extent in the African region Mass market channels such as MNOs retail-ers and funeral parlours accounted for 44 of the distribution of microinsur-ance products in the region and also brought in more premiums than any other channel type with the exception of agents and brokers The most premi-

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

8

ums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent brokers channel The study dem-onstrates that certain channels are bet-ter suited for certain product types

Market growth and evolution The mi-croinsurance market in Africa experi-enced a steady growth in lives covered of nearly 30 and premiums grew by 63 The market showed dynamism with at least 37 new market entrants and nearly 100 new products whilst at the same time seeing 46 products taken off the market and eight providers choos-ing to discontinue their microinsurance programmes Most new products were launched in Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Common responses provided

for discontinuation of products included regulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Whilst life covers still dominate the overall market in Africa the region has experienced some evolution of product complexity The more complex health property and agriculture covers expe-rienced proportionately much higher growth Insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and using bundling as a way to deepen cover-age At the country level several coun-tries experienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the number of providers and types of prod-ucts offered

The way forward Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments in the microinsurance sector Though there is some evidence of a shift to the mass market beginning in Africa such as in LAC insurers are still more micro-fo-cused in terms of their future intentions Market education and financial literacy among consumers market demand studies to help inform insurers better distribution channels regulatory chang-es and more use of IT were reported as the top areas that if changed would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance Overall the develop-ments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

9

1 INTRODUCTION

FIGURE 1 MICROINSURANCE DEFINITION

1 Introduction

Understanding the environment in which stakeholders operate and do business is crucial to the sustainability and profit-ability of the microinsurance sector This study analyses the comprehensive data received by over 200 insurance provid-ers ndash including but not limited to regu-lated commercial insurers mutuals and some self-insured microfinance institu-tions ndash from 36 countries4 in Africa with the goal of providing insurers with es-sential insights into the microinsurance markets of the region and offering a perspective of products and profitability premiums and policyholders

Conducted as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme this regional study is based on 2014 data and is the fourth such study conducted in Africa Data was provided voluntarily by insurers in response to a formal online survey with follow-up phone calls for clarifications5 More de-tails on the World Map of Microinsurance and the landscape studies can be found in Appendix A and a detailed methodol-ogy is provided in Appendix B

The study identifies where microinsur-ance is succeeding or failing and the corresponding triggers In analysing the data provided we can better understand the dynamics of microinsurance in the region and the environment in which it operates The study focuses primarily on the needs of insurers providing valu-

able and actionable market intelligence of emerging trends and vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the re-gion and where possible results are also compared across regions6

In 2014 the total insurance industry in Africa brought in USD 690 billion in gross written premiums (GWP) This represents a slight inflation-adjusted growth of 16 from 2013 to 20147 Though the regionrsquos industry grew Af-rica still holds the smallest share of the world market accounting for just 14 of global gross written premiums in 20148 It is estimated that only about 6 of Africans are middle class mean-ing they earn between USD 10 and 20 per day Due to booming economies in several African countries and growing interest from investors worldwide the middle class is projected to grow sub-stantially within the next few decades However the current reality is that 39 of people in Africa are poor (earning less than USD 2 per day) and 54 - more than 600 million people ndash are considered low-income (earning between USD 201 and 10)9The implications for microinsurance are many including an extremely large target market and plenty of room for growth expansion and innovation

Thus many insurers have also focused on providing products for the low-in-come market or microinsurance (As defined for the purposes of this study

4 In 18 of the 54 countries no microinsurance was reported 5 Not all insurers participated Insurers were provided a promise of anonymity of their data Several respondents from the previous study declined to participate

The products that these institutions offered in 2011 accounted for almost 2 million lives covered (lt5 of the 2011 dataset) These products have been excluded from the 2011 data in any analysis comparing 2011 and 2014 data

6 Comparison is made based on the results of the regional landscape study of microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance and on the regional study The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania conducted by MicroSave prior to the establishment of the World Map of Microinsurance As the Asia study did not collect data on administrative expenses and commissions comparisons with Asia are not possible in all instances throughout this paper

7 Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34 Web accessed 23 December 2015 httpmediaswissrecomdocumentssigma4_2015_enpdf 8 Ibid9 Rakesh Kocher ldquoMapping the Global Population How Many Live on How Much and Whererdquo Pew Research Center 2015 Web accessed 23 December 2015

httpwwwpewglobalorg20150708mapping-the-global-population-how-many-live-on-how-much-and-where 10 Note that the data in this report responds to the definition of the World Map of Microinsurance Programme and does not necessarily reflect the definition of the

jurisdiction in which the insurance is offered nor the internal definition within a particular institution

Developed specifically for low-income population

Affordable

Managed based on risk principles

Definition 3 key criteria

in Figure 110 with further details in Ap-pendix B) ldquoMicroinsurancerdquo intention-ally focuses on the low-income client segment which provides an opportunity to build a market for the future as those market participants also rise into the middle class

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

10

11 Coverage ratio calculated as identified lives insured by microinsurance total population

2 Landscape of microshyinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot

A total of 618 million Africans were identified as being covered by micro-insurance as of the end of 2014 Map 1 below provides a snapshot of microin-

surance coverage ratios by country in-dicated by the shading and total lives covered indicated by the size of the bub-ble Figure 2 provides key indicators at

the regional level and for context Table 1 provides key coverage data from the prior three landscape studies in Africa (2005 2008 2011)

012M

013M

013M

014M

016M

015M

016M

026M

027M

027M

028M

035M

SWAZILAND214

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR02

MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

03

ZAMBIA222

MALAWI16

TANZANIA39

BURUNDI12

CONGO01

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE0

SUDAN12

SOUTH SUDAN0CENT

AFRICAN REP0

EGYPT03

TUNISIA22

NIGER02 CHAD

0

NIGERIA10

BENIN21

GHANA290

TOGO34

BURKINA FASO28

MALI08

SENEGAL11

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA03

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

07

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON18

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

04

KENYA60

COMOROS85

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDA12

UGANDA67

ETHIOPIA19 SOMALIA

0

BOTSWANA28

SOUTH AFRICA640

NAMIBIA148

SIERRA LEONElt01

MAURITANIA03

ALGERIA03 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10M

5-10M

1M - lt 5M

03 - lt 1M

lt03M0

Lives insured (total number)(millions)

0M

3456M

766M

0M

0M

0M

DJIBOUTI0 0M

0M

0M

lt0M

0M

0M

0M

ERITREA0 0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

001M003M

004M

005M

006M

006M

008M

022M

024M

025M

041M

045M

048M

182M183M

199M

261M272M

334M

ZIMBABWE11

gt30

gt15-30

gt5-15

2-5

lt2

0

No data

Covered ratio (n of lives insuredtotal population)()

MOROCCO13042M

MAP 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA - 2014

11

2 LANDSCAPE OF MICRO INSURANCE IN AFRICA 2014 SNAPSHOT

TABLE 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA OVER TIME

2005 200812 2011 2014 Comparable growth13 (2011-2014)

Coverage ratio (proportion of total population covered by one or more microinsurance products)

040 180 440 540 NA

Total identified lives insured14 3515 million 147 million 444 million 618 million 29

Life 01 9216 339 464 25

Accident 16 NA 2 131 487

Credit life 19 7 88 164 88

Health 15 19 24 84 522

Property 03 03 08 45 308

Agriculture17 0 01 02 11 564

12 Matul et al March 2010 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa Geneva ILO13 Comparable growth rates from the 2011-2014 period were calculated using only institutions that provided data during both study years plus new market entrants

The 2008 and 2005 data displayed in the table are what those respective studies identified and are not necessarily comparable to the two most recent years of data

14 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

15 Note that the 2005 study did NOT include South Africa which comprises a significant share of the total market Data from Roth et al 2007 The Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries Appleton MicroInsurance Centre

16 For 2008 data only lives covered by life and accident covers were reported together17 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

FIGURE 2KEY FIGURES

164

464

84

45

11

131

Credit Life

Life

Accident

Health

Property

Agriculture

The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

36countries in which MI

was identified

gt200providers reporting data

Microinsurance gross written premium reported

Identified lives insured by product type (millions)

2011USD 387 million

2014USD 756 million

Comparable growth 63

The 2011 microinsurance gross written premiums amount has been adjusted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 2: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related laws It is strictly prohibited to reproduce an article from this publication in whole or in part without the written consent of the publisher

The quantitative information presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of products clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and provide an accurate picture of the market and its components

Layout cropmarklu

Printed by Reka on recycled paper

ISBN 978-99959-936-7-2

copy 2016 by Microinsurance Network

All rights reserved

The Microinsurance Network is kindly supported by the Luxembourgish Government

Disclaimer The views opinions and theories of all outputs of the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) Programme as contained herein are solely the views opinions and theories of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views opinions and theories of the Microinsurance Network its members andor its affiliated institutions as well as Sponsors and their related entities In addition the country and territory names borders andor scaled sizes depicted in this paper the WMM map images and the online interactive map are for illustrative purposes and do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the Microinsurance Network its members andor its affiliated institutions as well as sponsors and their related entities concerning the legal status of any country or territory or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries The Microinsurance Network makes no representation as to the accuracy completeness or reliability of any information views opinions and theories as may be contained herein The Microinsurance Network hereby disclaims any liability with this regards

of the grand duchy of luxembourgthe government

Agriculture

Property

Health

Accident

Credit Life

Life

Endowment

Savings life

Pensions

Funeral

Legend of Icons

climatiquement neutrenatureOfficecom | LU-319-510081

Impression

3

Contents

Contents 3 Figures maps and tables 4 Acknowledgements 4 Abbreviations 4

Foreword by Munich Re Foundation 5

Foreword by Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) 6

Executive Summary 7

1 Introduction 9

2 Landscape of microinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot 10

3 Business Case 12 Premiums 12 Claims 15 Administrative expenses 17 Commissions 19 Combined ratios ndash is it profitable 20 Spotlight on MNOs 22

4 Distribution 23

5 Market growth and evolution 25 New products 25 Discontinued products 26 Growth of ongoing products 26 Overall evolution of product types 27 Country-level development 27

6 The Way Forward 29

7 Appendices 31 Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance 31 Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study 34 Appendix C Key figures by country 37

4

CL Credit Life

FI Financial Institution

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GWP Gross Written Premium

IT Information Technology

KPIs Key Performance Indicators

1 USD exchange rates are the 2014 period average sourced from Oandacom as the average interbank bid rate for the past 1 year as of Jan 1st 2015

Abbreviations

Acknowledgements

LAC Latin America and the Caribbean

MFI Microfinance Institution

MI Microinsurance

MM Millions

MNO Mobile Network Operator

PA Personal Accident

POS Point of sale

PSF Family Health Programme

SME Small and Medium Sized Enterprise

USD United States Dollar1

WMM World Map of Microinsurance

Researchers

Mariah Mateo Sarpong Research CoordinatorFrancis Somerwell Research CoordinatorJada Tullos AndersonHeidi McGowanHannah Somma SonoJosepha L OtouEliza PaulRegina HammondAlyssa VillaireNeeta Karal Nair

The authors would like to extend a very special thank you to all the insurers and aggregators who used their time and efforts to provide data for this study Without their work and time in completing the extensive questionnaires and answering our multiple follow-up questions we would have nothing to report about the landscape of microinsurance in Africa Because of confidentiality these insurers and aggregators will not be named but their inputs are very much appreciated

Thank you also to the reviewers members of the World Map of Microinsurance Advisory Committee who improved the value of this document Dirk Reinhard Munich Re Foundation Bert Opdebeeck Belgian Raiffeisen Foundation and Denis Garand Denis Garand Associates

Katie BieseMichael J McCordMariah Mateo Sarpong

Figure 1 Microinsurance definition 9

Figure 2 Key figures 11

Figure 3 Africa gross written premiums total industry and microinsurance 12

Figure 4 Microinsurance gross written premium by product type 12

Figure 5 Comparable growth in GWP 2011-2014 12

Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD) 14

Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD) 14

Figure 8 Avg premium paid per life 2011-2014 (USD) 15

Figure 9 Aggregate claims ratios by region 15

Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type 15

Figure 11 Claims ratios by primary product type 16

Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type 18

Figure 13 Use of mobile phones in insurance processes 18

Figure 14 Use of technology in premium and claim payments 18

Figure 15 Proportion of products with commissions greater than 30 19

Figure 16 Commissions by distribution channel 19

Figure 17 Commissions by primary product type 19

Figure 18 Commissions vs administrative expenses 20

Figure 19 Range distribution of combined ratios in Africa and LAC 21

Figure 20 Combined ratios by product type 21

Figure 21 Insurersrsquo perspectives on the profitability of microinsurance 21

Figure 22 Proportion of products with combined ratios lt100 by product type 22

Figure 23 Mobile distribution 22

Figure 24 Lives covered by distribution channel 23

Figure 25 Lives covered products and premiums by distribution channel 23

Figure 26 Product types by distribution channel 23

Figure 27 Revenue and expenses by channel 24

Figure 28 New products 25

Figure 29 New product characteristics 25

Figure 30 Discontinued products 26

Figure 31 Status of discontinued products from 2011 26

Figure 32 Growth by type of product 27

Figure 33 Primary vs secondary covers 27

Figure 34 Country-level evolution ndash products providers and coverage ratios 28

Figure 35 Intentions of insurers that are not currently serving the low-income market 29

Figure 36 Top 5 reasons some insurers are not currently serving the low-income market 29

Figure 37 Top interventions needed to further develop microinsurance 29

Figure 38 Timeline of the landscape studies 32-33

Box 1 Why are claims ratios so low 16

Box 2 Terminology amp calculations for business case and other key indicators 36

Map 1 Microinsurance coverage in Africa 2014 10

Map 2 Microinsurance GWP as proportion of total industry GWP 13

Table 1 Microinsurance coverage in Africa over time 11

Table 2 Maximum annual premiums as per studyrsquos definition 34

Table 3 Gross written premiums by country ndash total insurance and microinsurance 37

Table 4 Identified lives covered by country 39

Table 5 Coverage ratios by country 40

Figures maps and tables

5

FOREWORD

Foreword by Munich Re Foundation

Microinsurance has been making great progress in recent years New markets are being explored and new products and operational strategies introduced A number of governments have started to develop regulatory frameworks to facilitate the devel-opment of innovative solutions As more and more stakeholders see the potential of microinsurance for business and development the need for a detailed and up-to-date overview of microinsurance activities increases

In 2006 first results from the ground-breaking study ldquoThe Landscape of Microinsur-ance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countriesrdquo were published Since 2012 annual re-gional landscape studies initiated by the Munich Re Foundation co-published with the Microinsurance Network have provided the data underpinning the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) The mission of the WMM project is to collect impartial data on the industry in order to reveal market potential monitor growth identify trends and promote innovation

We were very pleased to see that data from the WMM was used in the preparation of the 2015 G7 decision to provide an additional 400 million poor people with insurance against the risks of climate change by 2020 Although this is an unprecedented op-portunity a lot of challenges lie ahead A better understanding of the data required to support the decision-making process of the various market players is needed Accessibility and outreach must be improved In line with the Munich Re Foundationrsquos motto ldquofrom knowledge to actionrdquo we are convinced that reliable data on microinsur-ance markets is essential to the development of inclusive insurance markets and thus leads to better protection of the poor against various risks

This new Landscape Study on Africa provides important new information on opportu-nities for and challenges faced by microinsurance in the region We are very proud to be an active partner of the WMM project and we would like to thank all other sponsors and partners of this study especially Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) the Microinsurance Network team the research team led by the Microinsurance Centre the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuumlr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Dirk ReinhardVice Chairman

Munich Re Foundation

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

6

Foreword by Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A)

Insurance protects families livelihoods and communities from the financial loss of unanticipated events Vulnerability to risk is a constant in the lives of the poor and a cause of persistent poverty Microinsurance helps to protect the poor from often catastrophic events and therefore directly supports poverty alleviation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study provides valuable data that highlights and supports the growth of the industry in Africa Data facilitates market development by furthering best practices and supporting the development of products that better serve the needs of existing and potential clients

Whilst penetration rates have improved significantly in Africa in recent years much remains to be done for the microinsurance industry to achieve its full potential Af-ricarsquos penetration rates are less than 5 well below the rate of 78 in Latin America and the number of lives covered in Africa is less than a third of those covered in Asia

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study is critical to understanding the mi-croinsurance industry in Africa More importantly it provides a crucial information platform to engage industry stakeholders ndash policy makers regulators private sec-tor operators and development partners - around the changes needed to enable the sector to play its full role in poverty alleviation in Africa In so doing the study brings together three key strands of the activities and mandate of the partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) Research knowledge management and advocacy

The partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) is proud to be associated with this study We are also delighted to be cooperating with the Microinsurance Network the Munich Re Foundation the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuumlr Internationale Zusam-menarbeit (GIZ) as well as the MicroInsurance Centre

We hope that this Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study will make a significant contribution to advancing microinsurance on the continent

David Ashiagbor Coordinator

Making Finance Work for Africa

7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This study reports on the latest activi-ties and current state of microinsurance in Africa as identified by the latest re-gional landscape study as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme The 2014 data presented in this publication were collected from over 200 microinsurance providers representing all 36 of 54 Af-rican countries where microinsurance is available In aggregate these institu-tions generated a total of USD 756 mil-lion in microinsurance gross written premiums in 2014 In terms of outreach 618 million people or 54 of the total regional population was identified as be-ing covered by some type of microinsur-ance product

The study aims to provide a comprehen-sive understanding of the environment in which both microinsurance and tradi-tional insurers operate in order to pro-mote sustainability of the microinsur-ance sector in Africa With a focus on the needs of insurers this report is intended as a tool which offers valuable and ac-tionable market intelligence of emerging trends and highlights vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the region

Business case Of the USD 69 billion in premiums generated by the insurance industry in Africa in 2014 USD 756 mil-lion were in microinsurance premiums making up 11 of the total South Africa continues to dominate in terms of pre-miums but several other countries wrote microinsurance premiums that account for a significant share of their respective insurance markets Premium growth since the last landscape study in 2011 on an aggregate comparative basis was 63 The study identified a downward trend in claims with loss ratios through-

Executive summary

More than 200 providers from 36 of 54 African countries surveyed reported microinsurance activity The study identified the following

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written premiums reported

54 of the total population covered

618 million Total identified lives insured2

464 Life

131 Accident

164 Credit life

84 Health

45 Property

11 Agriculture3

2 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

3 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

out the region and across product lines being relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate) as opposed to the 44 aggregate loss ratio reported in 2011

In the region administrative costs ex-cluding commissions across all product lines accounted for about 25 of pre-miums in the aggregate (22 median) A wide range across product lines was found with agriculture products having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate In an effort to be more cost-effective the region has continued to increase its use of mobile phones espe-cially in terms of customer service and marketing Technology is increasingly being used in premium collection and claims payment however manual pro-cesses still dominate Fewer than half of the respondents were able to provide clear information on their microinsur-ance operating expenses and under 25 reported that they account separately for their microinsurance expenses on a regular basis In terms of commissions the median across distribution channels was just 10 (aggregate of 17) with the highest commissions being found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels Regard-ing combined ratios the data calculated showed clear profitability for more than two-thirds of products The median com-bined ratio was 73 (86 median)

MNOs Emerging as an increasingly popular distribution channel MNOs products accounted for 13 of total lives covered in the region in 2014 MNO dis-tributed products are inexpensive for clients but not for insurers with com-bined admin and commission costs of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distrib-

uted products) and a higher proportion going towards commissions By almost every measure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others Whilst one third of reporting insurers currently have some sort of MNO partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no inten-tion to partner or some interest but no plans

Distribution The shift to mass market products seen in LAC has happened to some extent in the African region Mass market channels such as MNOs retail-ers and funeral parlours accounted for 44 of the distribution of microinsur-ance products in the region and also brought in more premiums than any other channel type with the exception of agents and brokers The most premi-

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

8

ums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent brokers channel The study dem-onstrates that certain channels are bet-ter suited for certain product types

Market growth and evolution The mi-croinsurance market in Africa experi-enced a steady growth in lives covered of nearly 30 and premiums grew by 63 The market showed dynamism with at least 37 new market entrants and nearly 100 new products whilst at the same time seeing 46 products taken off the market and eight providers choos-ing to discontinue their microinsurance programmes Most new products were launched in Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Common responses provided

for discontinuation of products included regulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Whilst life covers still dominate the overall market in Africa the region has experienced some evolution of product complexity The more complex health property and agriculture covers expe-rienced proportionately much higher growth Insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and using bundling as a way to deepen cover-age At the country level several coun-tries experienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the number of providers and types of prod-ucts offered

The way forward Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments in the microinsurance sector Though there is some evidence of a shift to the mass market beginning in Africa such as in LAC insurers are still more micro-fo-cused in terms of their future intentions Market education and financial literacy among consumers market demand studies to help inform insurers better distribution channels regulatory chang-es and more use of IT were reported as the top areas that if changed would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance Overall the develop-ments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

9

1 INTRODUCTION

FIGURE 1 MICROINSURANCE DEFINITION

1 Introduction

Understanding the environment in which stakeholders operate and do business is crucial to the sustainability and profit-ability of the microinsurance sector This study analyses the comprehensive data received by over 200 insurance provid-ers ndash including but not limited to regu-lated commercial insurers mutuals and some self-insured microfinance institu-tions ndash from 36 countries4 in Africa with the goal of providing insurers with es-sential insights into the microinsurance markets of the region and offering a perspective of products and profitability premiums and policyholders

Conducted as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme this regional study is based on 2014 data and is the fourth such study conducted in Africa Data was provided voluntarily by insurers in response to a formal online survey with follow-up phone calls for clarifications5 More de-tails on the World Map of Microinsurance and the landscape studies can be found in Appendix A and a detailed methodol-ogy is provided in Appendix B

The study identifies where microinsur-ance is succeeding or failing and the corresponding triggers In analysing the data provided we can better understand the dynamics of microinsurance in the region and the environment in which it operates The study focuses primarily on the needs of insurers providing valu-

able and actionable market intelligence of emerging trends and vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the re-gion and where possible results are also compared across regions6

In 2014 the total insurance industry in Africa brought in USD 690 billion in gross written premiums (GWP) This represents a slight inflation-adjusted growth of 16 from 2013 to 20147 Though the regionrsquos industry grew Af-rica still holds the smallest share of the world market accounting for just 14 of global gross written premiums in 20148 It is estimated that only about 6 of Africans are middle class mean-ing they earn between USD 10 and 20 per day Due to booming economies in several African countries and growing interest from investors worldwide the middle class is projected to grow sub-stantially within the next few decades However the current reality is that 39 of people in Africa are poor (earning less than USD 2 per day) and 54 - more than 600 million people ndash are considered low-income (earning between USD 201 and 10)9The implications for microinsurance are many including an extremely large target market and plenty of room for growth expansion and innovation

Thus many insurers have also focused on providing products for the low-in-come market or microinsurance (As defined for the purposes of this study

4 In 18 of the 54 countries no microinsurance was reported 5 Not all insurers participated Insurers were provided a promise of anonymity of their data Several respondents from the previous study declined to participate

The products that these institutions offered in 2011 accounted for almost 2 million lives covered (lt5 of the 2011 dataset) These products have been excluded from the 2011 data in any analysis comparing 2011 and 2014 data

6 Comparison is made based on the results of the regional landscape study of microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance and on the regional study The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania conducted by MicroSave prior to the establishment of the World Map of Microinsurance As the Asia study did not collect data on administrative expenses and commissions comparisons with Asia are not possible in all instances throughout this paper

7 Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34 Web accessed 23 December 2015 httpmediaswissrecomdocumentssigma4_2015_enpdf 8 Ibid9 Rakesh Kocher ldquoMapping the Global Population How Many Live on How Much and Whererdquo Pew Research Center 2015 Web accessed 23 December 2015

httpwwwpewglobalorg20150708mapping-the-global-population-how-many-live-on-how-much-and-where 10 Note that the data in this report responds to the definition of the World Map of Microinsurance Programme and does not necessarily reflect the definition of the

jurisdiction in which the insurance is offered nor the internal definition within a particular institution

Developed specifically for low-income population

Affordable

Managed based on risk principles

Definition 3 key criteria

in Figure 110 with further details in Ap-pendix B) ldquoMicroinsurancerdquo intention-ally focuses on the low-income client segment which provides an opportunity to build a market for the future as those market participants also rise into the middle class

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

10

11 Coverage ratio calculated as identified lives insured by microinsurance total population

2 Landscape of microshyinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot

A total of 618 million Africans were identified as being covered by micro-insurance as of the end of 2014 Map 1 below provides a snapshot of microin-

surance coverage ratios by country in-dicated by the shading and total lives covered indicated by the size of the bub-ble Figure 2 provides key indicators at

the regional level and for context Table 1 provides key coverage data from the prior three landscape studies in Africa (2005 2008 2011)

012M

013M

013M

014M

016M

015M

016M

026M

027M

027M

028M

035M

SWAZILAND214

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR02

MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

03

ZAMBIA222

MALAWI16

TANZANIA39

BURUNDI12

CONGO01

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE0

SUDAN12

SOUTH SUDAN0CENT

AFRICAN REP0

EGYPT03

TUNISIA22

NIGER02 CHAD

0

NIGERIA10

BENIN21

GHANA290

TOGO34

BURKINA FASO28

MALI08

SENEGAL11

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA03

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

07

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON18

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

04

KENYA60

COMOROS85

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDA12

UGANDA67

ETHIOPIA19 SOMALIA

0

BOTSWANA28

SOUTH AFRICA640

NAMIBIA148

SIERRA LEONElt01

MAURITANIA03

ALGERIA03 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10M

5-10M

1M - lt 5M

03 - lt 1M

lt03M0

Lives insured (total number)(millions)

0M

3456M

766M

0M

0M

0M

DJIBOUTI0 0M

0M

0M

lt0M

0M

0M

0M

ERITREA0 0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

001M003M

004M

005M

006M

006M

008M

022M

024M

025M

041M

045M

048M

182M183M

199M

261M272M

334M

ZIMBABWE11

gt30

gt15-30

gt5-15

2-5

lt2

0

No data

Covered ratio (n of lives insuredtotal population)()

MOROCCO13042M

MAP 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA - 2014

11

2 LANDSCAPE OF MICRO INSURANCE IN AFRICA 2014 SNAPSHOT

TABLE 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA OVER TIME

2005 200812 2011 2014 Comparable growth13 (2011-2014)

Coverage ratio (proportion of total population covered by one or more microinsurance products)

040 180 440 540 NA

Total identified lives insured14 3515 million 147 million 444 million 618 million 29

Life 01 9216 339 464 25

Accident 16 NA 2 131 487

Credit life 19 7 88 164 88

Health 15 19 24 84 522

Property 03 03 08 45 308

Agriculture17 0 01 02 11 564

12 Matul et al March 2010 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa Geneva ILO13 Comparable growth rates from the 2011-2014 period were calculated using only institutions that provided data during both study years plus new market entrants

The 2008 and 2005 data displayed in the table are what those respective studies identified and are not necessarily comparable to the two most recent years of data

14 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

15 Note that the 2005 study did NOT include South Africa which comprises a significant share of the total market Data from Roth et al 2007 The Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries Appleton MicroInsurance Centre

16 For 2008 data only lives covered by life and accident covers were reported together17 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

FIGURE 2KEY FIGURES

164

464

84

45

11

131

Credit Life

Life

Accident

Health

Property

Agriculture

The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

36countries in which MI

was identified

gt200providers reporting data

Microinsurance gross written premium reported

Identified lives insured by product type (millions)

2011USD 387 million

2014USD 756 million

Comparable growth 63

The 2011 microinsurance gross written premiums amount has been adjusted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 3: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

3

Contents

Contents 3 Figures maps and tables 4 Acknowledgements 4 Abbreviations 4

Foreword by Munich Re Foundation 5

Foreword by Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) 6

Executive Summary 7

1 Introduction 9

2 Landscape of microinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot 10

3 Business Case 12 Premiums 12 Claims 15 Administrative expenses 17 Commissions 19 Combined ratios ndash is it profitable 20 Spotlight on MNOs 22

4 Distribution 23

5 Market growth and evolution 25 New products 25 Discontinued products 26 Growth of ongoing products 26 Overall evolution of product types 27 Country-level development 27

6 The Way Forward 29

7 Appendices 31 Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance 31 Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study 34 Appendix C Key figures by country 37

4

CL Credit Life

FI Financial Institution

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GWP Gross Written Premium

IT Information Technology

KPIs Key Performance Indicators

1 USD exchange rates are the 2014 period average sourced from Oandacom as the average interbank bid rate for the past 1 year as of Jan 1st 2015

Abbreviations

Acknowledgements

LAC Latin America and the Caribbean

MFI Microfinance Institution

MI Microinsurance

MM Millions

MNO Mobile Network Operator

PA Personal Accident

POS Point of sale

PSF Family Health Programme

SME Small and Medium Sized Enterprise

USD United States Dollar1

WMM World Map of Microinsurance

Researchers

Mariah Mateo Sarpong Research CoordinatorFrancis Somerwell Research CoordinatorJada Tullos AndersonHeidi McGowanHannah Somma SonoJosepha L OtouEliza PaulRegina HammondAlyssa VillaireNeeta Karal Nair

The authors would like to extend a very special thank you to all the insurers and aggregators who used their time and efforts to provide data for this study Without their work and time in completing the extensive questionnaires and answering our multiple follow-up questions we would have nothing to report about the landscape of microinsurance in Africa Because of confidentiality these insurers and aggregators will not be named but their inputs are very much appreciated

Thank you also to the reviewers members of the World Map of Microinsurance Advisory Committee who improved the value of this document Dirk Reinhard Munich Re Foundation Bert Opdebeeck Belgian Raiffeisen Foundation and Denis Garand Denis Garand Associates

Katie BieseMichael J McCordMariah Mateo Sarpong

Figure 1 Microinsurance definition 9

Figure 2 Key figures 11

Figure 3 Africa gross written premiums total industry and microinsurance 12

Figure 4 Microinsurance gross written premium by product type 12

Figure 5 Comparable growth in GWP 2011-2014 12

Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD) 14

Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD) 14

Figure 8 Avg premium paid per life 2011-2014 (USD) 15

Figure 9 Aggregate claims ratios by region 15

Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type 15

Figure 11 Claims ratios by primary product type 16

Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type 18

Figure 13 Use of mobile phones in insurance processes 18

Figure 14 Use of technology in premium and claim payments 18

Figure 15 Proportion of products with commissions greater than 30 19

Figure 16 Commissions by distribution channel 19

Figure 17 Commissions by primary product type 19

Figure 18 Commissions vs administrative expenses 20

Figure 19 Range distribution of combined ratios in Africa and LAC 21

Figure 20 Combined ratios by product type 21

Figure 21 Insurersrsquo perspectives on the profitability of microinsurance 21

Figure 22 Proportion of products with combined ratios lt100 by product type 22

Figure 23 Mobile distribution 22

Figure 24 Lives covered by distribution channel 23

Figure 25 Lives covered products and premiums by distribution channel 23

Figure 26 Product types by distribution channel 23

Figure 27 Revenue and expenses by channel 24

Figure 28 New products 25

Figure 29 New product characteristics 25

Figure 30 Discontinued products 26

Figure 31 Status of discontinued products from 2011 26

Figure 32 Growth by type of product 27

Figure 33 Primary vs secondary covers 27

Figure 34 Country-level evolution ndash products providers and coverage ratios 28

Figure 35 Intentions of insurers that are not currently serving the low-income market 29

Figure 36 Top 5 reasons some insurers are not currently serving the low-income market 29

Figure 37 Top interventions needed to further develop microinsurance 29

Figure 38 Timeline of the landscape studies 32-33

Box 1 Why are claims ratios so low 16

Box 2 Terminology amp calculations for business case and other key indicators 36

Map 1 Microinsurance coverage in Africa 2014 10

Map 2 Microinsurance GWP as proportion of total industry GWP 13

Table 1 Microinsurance coverage in Africa over time 11

Table 2 Maximum annual premiums as per studyrsquos definition 34

Table 3 Gross written premiums by country ndash total insurance and microinsurance 37

Table 4 Identified lives covered by country 39

Table 5 Coverage ratios by country 40

Figures maps and tables

5

FOREWORD

Foreword by Munich Re Foundation

Microinsurance has been making great progress in recent years New markets are being explored and new products and operational strategies introduced A number of governments have started to develop regulatory frameworks to facilitate the devel-opment of innovative solutions As more and more stakeholders see the potential of microinsurance for business and development the need for a detailed and up-to-date overview of microinsurance activities increases

In 2006 first results from the ground-breaking study ldquoThe Landscape of Microinsur-ance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countriesrdquo were published Since 2012 annual re-gional landscape studies initiated by the Munich Re Foundation co-published with the Microinsurance Network have provided the data underpinning the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) The mission of the WMM project is to collect impartial data on the industry in order to reveal market potential monitor growth identify trends and promote innovation

We were very pleased to see that data from the WMM was used in the preparation of the 2015 G7 decision to provide an additional 400 million poor people with insurance against the risks of climate change by 2020 Although this is an unprecedented op-portunity a lot of challenges lie ahead A better understanding of the data required to support the decision-making process of the various market players is needed Accessibility and outreach must be improved In line with the Munich Re Foundationrsquos motto ldquofrom knowledge to actionrdquo we are convinced that reliable data on microinsur-ance markets is essential to the development of inclusive insurance markets and thus leads to better protection of the poor against various risks

This new Landscape Study on Africa provides important new information on opportu-nities for and challenges faced by microinsurance in the region We are very proud to be an active partner of the WMM project and we would like to thank all other sponsors and partners of this study especially Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) the Microinsurance Network team the research team led by the Microinsurance Centre the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuumlr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Dirk ReinhardVice Chairman

Munich Re Foundation

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

6

Foreword by Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A)

Insurance protects families livelihoods and communities from the financial loss of unanticipated events Vulnerability to risk is a constant in the lives of the poor and a cause of persistent poverty Microinsurance helps to protect the poor from often catastrophic events and therefore directly supports poverty alleviation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study provides valuable data that highlights and supports the growth of the industry in Africa Data facilitates market development by furthering best practices and supporting the development of products that better serve the needs of existing and potential clients

Whilst penetration rates have improved significantly in Africa in recent years much remains to be done for the microinsurance industry to achieve its full potential Af-ricarsquos penetration rates are less than 5 well below the rate of 78 in Latin America and the number of lives covered in Africa is less than a third of those covered in Asia

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study is critical to understanding the mi-croinsurance industry in Africa More importantly it provides a crucial information platform to engage industry stakeholders ndash policy makers regulators private sec-tor operators and development partners - around the changes needed to enable the sector to play its full role in poverty alleviation in Africa In so doing the study brings together three key strands of the activities and mandate of the partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) Research knowledge management and advocacy

The partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) is proud to be associated with this study We are also delighted to be cooperating with the Microinsurance Network the Munich Re Foundation the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuumlr Internationale Zusam-menarbeit (GIZ) as well as the MicroInsurance Centre

We hope that this Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study will make a significant contribution to advancing microinsurance on the continent

David Ashiagbor Coordinator

Making Finance Work for Africa

7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This study reports on the latest activi-ties and current state of microinsurance in Africa as identified by the latest re-gional landscape study as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme The 2014 data presented in this publication were collected from over 200 microinsurance providers representing all 36 of 54 Af-rican countries where microinsurance is available In aggregate these institu-tions generated a total of USD 756 mil-lion in microinsurance gross written premiums in 2014 In terms of outreach 618 million people or 54 of the total regional population was identified as be-ing covered by some type of microinsur-ance product

The study aims to provide a comprehen-sive understanding of the environment in which both microinsurance and tradi-tional insurers operate in order to pro-mote sustainability of the microinsur-ance sector in Africa With a focus on the needs of insurers this report is intended as a tool which offers valuable and ac-tionable market intelligence of emerging trends and highlights vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the region

Business case Of the USD 69 billion in premiums generated by the insurance industry in Africa in 2014 USD 756 mil-lion were in microinsurance premiums making up 11 of the total South Africa continues to dominate in terms of pre-miums but several other countries wrote microinsurance premiums that account for a significant share of their respective insurance markets Premium growth since the last landscape study in 2011 on an aggregate comparative basis was 63 The study identified a downward trend in claims with loss ratios through-

Executive summary

More than 200 providers from 36 of 54 African countries surveyed reported microinsurance activity The study identified the following

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written premiums reported

54 of the total population covered

618 million Total identified lives insured2

464 Life

131 Accident

164 Credit life

84 Health

45 Property

11 Agriculture3

2 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

3 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

out the region and across product lines being relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate) as opposed to the 44 aggregate loss ratio reported in 2011

In the region administrative costs ex-cluding commissions across all product lines accounted for about 25 of pre-miums in the aggregate (22 median) A wide range across product lines was found with agriculture products having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate In an effort to be more cost-effective the region has continued to increase its use of mobile phones espe-cially in terms of customer service and marketing Technology is increasingly being used in premium collection and claims payment however manual pro-cesses still dominate Fewer than half of the respondents were able to provide clear information on their microinsur-ance operating expenses and under 25 reported that they account separately for their microinsurance expenses on a regular basis In terms of commissions the median across distribution channels was just 10 (aggregate of 17) with the highest commissions being found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels Regard-ing combined ratios the data calculated showed clear profitability for more than two-thirds of products The median com-bined ratio was 73 (86 median)

MNOs Emerging as an increasingly popular distribution channel MNOs products accounted for 13 of total lives covered in the region in 2014 MNO dis-tributed products are inexpensive for clients but not for insurers with com-bined admin and commission costs of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distrib-

uted products) and a higher proportion going towards commissions By almost every measure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others Whilst one third of reporting insurers currently have some sort of MNO partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no inten-tion to partner or some interest but no plans

Distribution The shift to mass market products seen in LAC has happened to some extent in the African region Mass market channels such as MNOs retail-ers and funeral parlours accounted for 44 of the distribution of microinsur-ance products in the region and also brought in more premiums than any other channel type with the exception of agents and brokers The most premi-

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

8

ums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent brokers channel The study dem-onstrates that certain channels are bet-ter suited for certain product types

Market growth and evolution The mi-croinsurance market in Africa experi-enced a steady growth in lives covered of nearly 30 and premiums grew by 63 The market showed dynamism with at least 37 new market entrants and nearly 100 new products whilst at the same time seeing 46 products taken off the market and eight providers choos-ing to discontinue their microinsurance programmes Most new products were launched in Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Common responses provided

for discontinuation of products included regulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Whilst life covers still dominate the overall market in Africa the region has experienced some evolution of product complexity The more complex health property and agriculture covers expe-rienced proportionately much higher growth Insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and using bundling as a way to deepen cover-age At the country level several coun-tries experienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the number of providers and types of prod-ucts offered

The way forward Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments in the microinsurance sector Though there is some evidence of a shift to the mass market beginning in Africa such as in LAC insurers are still more micro-fo-cused in terms of their future intentions Market education and financial literacy among consumers market demand studies to help inform insurers better distribution channels regulatory chang-es and more use of IT were reported as the top areas that if changed would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance Overall the develop-ments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

9

1 INTRODUCTION

FIGURE 1 MICROINSURANCE DEFINITION

1 Introduction

Understanding the environment in which stakeholders operate and do business is crucial to the sustainability and profit-ability of the microinsurance sector This study analyses the comprehensive data received by over 200 insurance provid-ers ndash including but not limited to regu-lated commercial insurers mutuals and some self-insured microfinance institu-tions ndash from 36 countries4 in Africa with the goal of providing insurers with es-sential insights into the microinsurance markets of the region and offering a perspective of products and profitability premiums and policyholders

Conducted as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme this regional study is based on 2014 data and is the fourth such study conducted in Africa Data was provided voluntarily by insurers in response to a formal online survey with follow-up phone calls for clarifications5 More de-tails on the World Map of Microinsurance and the landscape studies can be found in Appendix A and a detailed methodol-ogy is provided in Appendix B

The study identifies where microinsur-ance is succeeding or failing and the corresponding triggers In analysing the data provided we can better understand the dynamics of microinsurance in the region and the environment in which it operates The study focuses primarily on the needs of insurers providing valu-

able and actionable market intelligence of emerging trends and vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the re-gion and where possible results are also compared across regions6

In 2014 the total insurance industry in Africa brought in USD 690 billion in gross written premiums (GWP) This represents a slight inflation-adjusted growth of 16 from 2013 to 20147 Though the regionrsquos industry grew Af-rica still holds the smallest share of the world market accounting for just 14 of global gross written premiums in 20148 It is estimated that only about 6 of Africans are middle class mean-ing they earn between USD 10 and 20 per day Due to booming economies in several African countries and growing interest from investors worldwide the middle class is projected to grow sub-stantially within the next few decades However the current reality is that 39 of people in Africa are poor (earning less than USD 2 per day) and 54 - more than 600 million people ndash are considered low-income (earning between USD 201 and 10)9The implications for microinsurance are many including an extremely large target market and plenty of room for growth expansion and innovation

Thus many insurers have also focused on providing products for the low-in-come market or microinsurance (As defined for the purposes of this study

4 In 18 of the 54 countries no microinsurance was reported 5 Not all insurers participated Insurers were provided a promise of anonymity of their data Several respondents from the previous study declined to participate

The products that these institutions offered in 2011 accounted for almost 2 million lives covered (lt5 of the 2011 dataset) These products have been excluded from the 2011 data in any analysis comparing 2011 and 2014 data

6 Comparison is made based on the results of the regional landscape study of microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance and on the regional study The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania conducted by MicroSave prior to the establishment of the World Map of Microinsurance As the Asia study did not collect data on administrative expenses and commissions comparisons with Asia are not possible in all instances throughout this paper

7 Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34 Web accessed 23 December 2015 httpmediaswissrecomdocumentssigma4_2015_enpdf 8 Ibid9 Rakesh Kocher ldquoMapping the Global Population How Many Live on How Much and Whererdquo Pew Research Center 2015 Web accessed 23 December 2015

httpwwwpewglobalorg20150708mapping-the-global-population-how-many-live-on-how-much-and-where 10 Note that the data in this report responds to the definition of the World Map of Microinsurance Programme and does not necessarily reflect the definition of the

jurisdiction in which the insurance is offered nor the internal definition within a particular institution

Developed specifically for low-income population

Affordable

Managed based on risk principles

Definition 3 key criteria

in Figure 110 with further details in Ap-pendix B) ldquoMicroinsurancerdquo intention-ally focuses on the low-income client segment which provides an opportunity to build a market for the future as those market participants also rise into the middle class

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

10

11 Coverage ratio calculated as identified lives insured by microinsurance total population

2 Landscape of microshyinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot

A total of 618 million Africans were identified as being covered by micro-insurance as of the end of 2014 Map 1 below provides a snapshot of microin-

surance coverage ratios by country in-dicated by the shading and total lives covered indicated by the size of the bub-ble Figure 2 provides key indicators at

the regional level and for context Table 1 provides key coverage data from the prior three landscape studies in Africa (2005 2008 2011)

012M

013M

013M

014M

016M

015M

016M

026M

027M

027M

028M

035M

SWAZILAND214

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR02

MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

03

ZAMBIA222

MALAWI16

TANZANIA39

BURUNDI12

CONGO01

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE0

SUDAN12

SOUTH SUDAN0CENT

AFRICAN REP0

EGYPT03

TUNISIA22

NIGER02 CHAD

0

NIGERIA10

BENIN21

GHANA290

TOGO34

BURKINA FASO28

MALI08

SENEGAL11

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA03

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

07

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON18

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

04

KENYA60

COMOROS85

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDA12

UGANDA67

ETHIOPIA19 SOMALIA

0

BOTSWANA28

SOUTH AFRICA640

NAMIBIA148

SIERRA LEONElt01

MAURITANIA03

ALGERIA03 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10M

5-10M

1M - lt 5M

03 - lt 1M

lt03M0

Lives insured (total number)(millions)

0M

3456M

766M

0M

0M

0M

DJIBOUTI0 0M

0M

0M

lt0M

0M

0M

0M

ERITREA0 0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

001M003M

004M

005M

006M

006M

008M

022M

024M

025M

041M

045M

048M

182M183M

199M

261M272M

334M

ZIMBABWE11

gt30

gt15-30

gt5-15

2-5

lt2

0

No data

Covered ratio (n of lives insuredtotal population)()

MOROCCO13042M

MAP 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA - 2014

11

2 LANDSCAPE OF MICRO INSURANCE IN AFRICA 2014 SNAPSHOT

TABLE 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA OVER TIME

2005 200812 2011 2014 Comparable growth13 (2011-2014)

Coverage ratio (proportion of total population covered by one or more microinsurance products)

040 180 440 540 NA

Total identified lives insured14 3515 million 147 million 444 million 618 million 29

Life 01 9216 339 464 25

Accident 16 NA 2 131 487

Credit life 19 7 88 164 88

Health 15 19 24 84 522

Property 03 03 08 45 308

Agriculture17 0 01 02 11 564

12 Matul et al March 2010 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa Geneva ILO13 Comparable growth rates from the 2011-2014 period were calculated using only institutions that provided data during both study years plus new market entrants

The 2008 and 2005 data displayed in the table are what those respective studies identified and are not necessarily comparable to the two most recent years of data

14 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

15 Note that the 2005 study did NOT include South Africa which comprises a significant share of the total market Data from Roth et al 2007 The Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries Appleton MicroInsurance Centre

16 For 2008 data only lives covered by life and accident covers were reported together17 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

FIGURE 2KEY FIGURES

164

464

84

45

11

131

Credit Life

Life

Accident

Health

Property

Agriculture

The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

36countries in which MI

was identified

gt200providers reporting data

Microinsurance gross written premium reported

Identified lives insured by product type (millions)

2011USD 387 million

2014USD 756 million

Comparable growth 63

The 2011 microinsurance gross written premiums amount has been adjusted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 4: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

4

CL Credit Life

FI Financial Institution

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GWP Gross Written Premium

IT Information Technology

KPIs Key Performance Indicators

1 USD exchange rates are the 2014 period average sourced from Oandacom as the average interbank bid rate for the past 1 year as of Jan 1st 2015

Abbreviations

Acknowledgements

LAC Latin America and the Caribbean

MFI Microfinance Institution

MI Microinsurance

MM Millions

MNO Mobile Network Operator

PA Personal Accident

POS Point of sale

PSF Family Health Programme

SME Small and Medium Sized Enterprise

USD United States Dollar1

WMM World Map of Microinsurance

Researchers

Mariah Mateo Sarpong Research CoordinatorFrancis Somerwell Research CoordinatorJada Tullos AndersonHeidi McGowanHannah Somma SonoJosepha L OtouEliza PaulRegina HammondAlyssa VillaireNeeta Karal Nair

The authors would like to extend a very special thank you to all the insurers and aggregators who used their time and efforts to provide data for this study Without their work and time in completing the extensive questionnaires and answering our multiple follow-up questions we would have nothing to report about the landscape of microinsurance in Africa Because of confidentiality these insurers and aggregators will not be named but their inputs are very much appreciated

Thank you also to the reviewers members of the World Map of Microinsurance Advisory Committee who improved the value of this document Dirk Reinhard Munich Re Foundation Bert Opdebeeck Belgian Raiffeisen Foundation and Denis Garand Denis Garand Associates

Katie BieseMichael J McCordMariah Mateo Sarpong

Figure 1 Microinsurance definition 9

Figure 2 Key figures 11

Figure 3 Africa gross written premiums total industry and microinsurance 12

Figure 4 Microinsurance gross written premium by product type 12

Figure 5 Comparable growth in GWP 2011-2014 12

Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD) 14

Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD) 14

Figure 8 Avg premium paid per life 2011-2014 (USD) 15

Figure 9 Aggregate claims ratios by region 15

Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type 15

Figure 11 Claims ratios by primary product type 16

Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type 18

Figure 13 Use of mobile phones in insurance processes 18

Figure 14 Use of technology in premium and claim payments 18

Figure 15 Proportion of products with commissions greater than 30 19

Figure 16 Commissions by distribution channel 19

Figure 17 Commissions by primary product type 19

Figure 18 Commissions vs administrative expenses 20

Figure 19 Range distribution of combined ratios in Africa and LAC 21

Figure 20 Combined ratios by product type 21

Figure 21 Insurersrsquo perspectives on the profitability of microinsurance 21

Figure 22 Proportion of products with combined ratios lt100 by product type 22

Figure 23 Mobile distribution 22

Figure 24 Lives covered by distribution channel 23

Figure 25 Lives covered products and premiums by distribution channel 23

Figure 26 Product types by distribution channel 23

Figure 27 Revenue and expenses by channel 24

Figure 28 New products 25

Figure 29 New product characteristics 25

Figure 30 Discontinued products 26

Figure 31 Status of discontinued products from 2011 26

Figure 32 Growth by type of product 27

Figure 33 Primary vs secondary covers 27

Figure 34 Country-level evolution ndash products providers and coverage ratios 28

Figure 35 Intentions of insurers that are not currently serving the low-income market 29

Figure 36 Top 5 reasons some insurers are not currently serving the low-income market 29

Figure 37 Top interventions needed to further develop microinsurance 29

Figure 38 Timeline of the landscape studies 32-33

Box 1 Why are claims ratios so low 16

Box 2 Terminology amp calculations for business case and other key indicators 36

Map 1 Microinsurance coverage in Africa 2014 10

Map 2 Microinsurance GWP as proportion of total industry GWP 13

Table 1 Microinsurance coverage in Africa over time 11

Table 2 Maximum annual premiums as per studyrsquos definition 34

Table 3 Gross written premiums by country ndash total insurance and microinsurance 37

Table 4 Identified lives covered by country 39

Table 5 Coverage ratios by country 40

Figures maps and tables

5

FOREWORD

Foreword by Munich Re Foundation

Microinsurance has been making great progress in recent years New markets are being explored and new products and operational strategies introduced A number of governments have started to develop regulatory frameworks to facilitate the devel-opment of innovative solutions As more and more stakeholders see the potential of microinsurance for business and development the need for a detailed and up-to-date overview of microinsurance activities increases

In 2006 first results from the ground-breaking study ldquoThe Landscape of Microinsur-ance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countriesrdquo were published Since 2012 annual re-gional landscape studies initiated by the Munich Re Foundation co-published with the Microinsurance Network have provided the data underpinning the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) The mission of the WMM project is to collect impartial data on the industry in order to reveal market potential monitor growth identify trends and promote innovation

We were very pleased to see that data from the WMM was used in the preparation of the 2015 G7 decision to provide an additional 400 million poor people with insurance against the risks of climate change by 2020 Although this is an unprecedented op-portunity a lot of challenges lie ahead A better understanding of the data required to support the decision-making process of the various market players is needed Accessibility and outreach must be improved In line with the Munich Re Foundationrsquos motto ldquofrom knowledge to actionrdquo we are convinced that reliable data on microinsur-ance markets is essential to the development of inclusive insurance markets and thus leads to better protection of the poor against various risks

This new Landscape Study on Africa provides important new information on opportu-nities for and challenges faced by microinsurance in the region We are very proud to be an active partner of the WMM project and we would like to thank all other sponsors and partners of this study especially Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) the Microinsurance Network team the research team led by the Microinsurance Centre the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuumlr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Dirk ReinhardVice Chairman

Munich Re Foundation

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

6

Foreword by Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A)

Insurance protects families livelihoods and communities from the financial loss of unanticipated events Vulnerability to risk is a constant in the lives of the poor and a cause of persistent poverty Microinsurance helps to protect the poor from often catastrophic events and therefore directly supports poverty alleviation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study provides valuable data that highlights and supports the growth of the industry in Africa Data facilitates market development by furthering best practices and supporting the development of products that better serve the needs of existing and potential clients

Whilst penetration rates have improved significantly in Africa in recent years much remains to be done for the microinsurance industry to achieve its full potential Af-ricarsquos penetration rates are less than 5 well below the rate of 78 in Latin America and the number of lives covered in Africa is less than a third of those covered in Asia

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study is critical to understanding the mi-croinsurance industry in Africa More importantly it provides a crucial information platform to engage industry stakeholders ndash policy makers regulators private sec-tor operators and development partners - around the changes needed to enable the sector to play its full role in poverty alleviation in Africa In so doing the study brings together three key strands of the activities and mandate of the partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) Research knowledge management and advocacy

The partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) is proud to be associated with this study We are also delighted to be cooperating with the Microinsurance Network the Munich Re Foundation the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuumlr Internationale Zusam-menarbeit (GIZ) as well as the MicroInsurance Centre

We hope that this Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study will make a significant contribution to advancing microinsurance on the continent

David Ashiagbor Coordinator

Making Finance Work for Africa

7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This study reports on the latest activi-ties and current state of microinsurance in Africa as identified by the latest re-gional landscape study as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme The 2014 data presented in this publication were collected from over 200 microinsurance providers representing all 36 of 54 Af-rican countries where microinsurance is available In aggregate these institu-tions generated a total of USD 756 mil-lion in microinsurance gross written premiums in 2014 In terms of outreach 618 million people or 54 of the total regional population was identified as be-ing covered by some type of microinsur-ance product

The study aims to provide a comprehen-sive understanding of the environment in which both microinsurance and tradi-tional insurers operate in order to pro-mote sustainability of the microinsur-ance sector in Africa With a focus on the needs of insurers this report is intended as a tool which offers valuable and ac-tionable market intelligence of emerging trends and highlights vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the region

Business case Of the USD 69 billion in premiums generated by the insurance industry in Africa in 2014 USD 756 mil-lion were in microinsurance premiums making up 11 of the total South Africa continues to dominate in terms of pre-miums but several other countries wrote microinsurance premiums that account for a significant share of their respective insurance markets Premium growth since the last landscape study in 2011 on an aggregate comparative basis was 63 The study identified a downward trend in claims with loss ratios through-

Executive summary

More than 200 providers from 36 of 54 African countries surveyed reported microinsurance activity The study identified the following

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written premiums reported

54 of the total population covered

618 million Total identified lives insured2

464 Life

131 Accident

164 Credit life

84 Health

45 Property

11 Agriculture3

2 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

3 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

out the region and across product lines being relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate) as opposed to the 44 aggregate loss ratio reported in 2011

In the region administrative costs ex-cluding commissions across all product lines accounted for about 25 of pre-miums in the aggregate (22 median) A wide range across product lines was found with agriculture products having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate In an effort to be more cost-effective the region has continued to increase its use of mobile phones espe-cially in terms of customer service and marketing Technology is increasingly being used in premium collection and claims payment however manual pro-cesses still dominate Fewer than half of the respondents were able to provide clear information on their microinsur-ance operating expenses and under 25 reported that they account separately for their microinsurance expenses on a regular basis In terms of commissions the median across distribution channels was just 10 (aggregate of 17) with the highest commissions being found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels Regard-ing combined ratios the data calculated showed clear profitability for more than two-thirds of products The median com-bined ratio was 73 (86 median)

MNOs Emerging as an increasingly popular distribution channel MNOs products accounted for 13 of total lives covered in the region in 2014 MNO dis-tributed products are inexpensive for clients but not for insurers with com-bined admin and commission costs of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distrib-

uted products) and a higher proportion going towards commissions By almost every measure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others Whilst one third of reporting insurers currently have some sort of MNO partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no inten-tion to partner or some interest but no plans

Distribution The shift to mass market products seen in LAC has happened to some extent in the African region Mass market channels such as MNOs retail-ers and funeral parlours accounted for 44 of the distribution of microinsur-ance products in the region and also brought in more premiums than any other channel type with the exception of agents and brokers The most premi-

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

8

ums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent brokers channel The study dem-onstrates that certain channels are bet-ter suited for certain product types

Market growth and evolution The mi-croinsurance market in Africa experi-enced a steady growth in lives covered of nearly 30 and premiums grew by 63 The market showed dynamism with at least 37 new market entrants and nearly 100 new products whilst at the same time seeing 46 products taken off the market and eight providers choos-ing to discontinue their microinsurance programmes Most new products were launched in Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Common responses provided

for discontinuation of products included regulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Whilst life covers still dominate the overall market in Africa the region has experienced some evolution of product complexity The more complex health property and agriculture covers expe-rienced proportionately much higher growth Insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and using bundling as a way to deepen cover-age At the country level several coun-tries experienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the number of providers and types of prod-ucts offered

The way forward Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments in the microinsurance sector Though there is some evidence of a shift to the mass market beginning in Africa such as in LAC insurers are still more micro-fo-cused in terms of their future intentions Market education and financial literacy among consumers market demand studies to help inform insurers better distribution channels regulatory chang-es and more use of IT were reported as the top areas that if changed would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance Overall the develop-ments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

9

1 INTRODUCTION

FIGURE 1 MICROINSURANCE DEFINITION

1 Introduction

Understanding the environment in which stakeholders operate and do business is crucial to the sustainability and profit-ability of the microinsurance sector This study analyses the comprehensive data received by over 200 insurance provid-ers ndash including but not limited to regu-lated commercial insurers mutuals and some self-insured microfinance institu-tions ndash from 36 countries4 in Africa with the goal of providing insurers with es-sential insights into the microinsurance markets of the region and offering a perspective of products and profitability premiums and policyholders

Conducted as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme this regional study is based on 2014 data and is the fourth such study conducted in Africa Data was provided voluntarily by insurers in response to a formal online survey with follow-up phone calls for clarifications5 More de-tails on the World Map of Microinsurance and the landscape studies can be found in Appendix A and a detailed methodol-ogy is provided in Appendix B

The study identifies where microinsur-ance is succeeding or failing and the corresponding triggers In analysing the data provided we can better understand the dynamics of microinsurance in the region and the environment in which it operates The study focuses primarily on the needs of insurers providing valu-

able and actionable market intelligence of emerging trends and vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the re-gion and where possible results are also compared across regions6

In 2014 the total insurance industry in Africa brought in USD 690 billion in gross written premiums (GWP) This represents a slight inflation-adjusted growth of 16 from 2013 to 20147 Though the regionrsquos industry grew Af-rica still holds the smallest share of the world market accounting for just 14 of global gross written premiums in 20148 It is estimated that only about 6 of Africans are middle class mean-ing they earn between USD 10 and 20 per day Due to booming economies in several African countries and growing interest from investors worldwide the middle class is projected to grow sub-stantially within the next few decades However the current reality is that 39 of people in Africa are poor (earning less than USD 2 per day) and 54 - more than 600 million people ndash are considered low-income (earning between USD 201 and 10)9The implications for microinsurance are many including an extremely large target market and plenty of room for growth expansion and innovation

Thus many insurers have also focused on providing products for the low-in-come market or microinsurance (As defined for the purposes of this study

4 In 18 of the 54 countries no microinsurance was reported 5 Not all insurers participated Insurers were provided a promise of anonymity of their data Several respondents from the previous study declined to participate

The products that these institutions offered in 2011 accounted for almost 2 million lives covered (lt5 of the 2011 dataset) These products have been excluded from the 2011 data in any analysis comparing 2011 and 2014 data

6 Comparison is made based on the results of the regional landscape study of microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance and on the regional study The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania conducted by MicroSave prior to the establishment of the World Map of Microinsurance As the Asia study did not collect data on administrative expenses and commissions comparisons with Asia are not possible in all instances throughout this paper

7 Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34 Web accessed 23 December 2015 httpmediaswissrecomdocumentssigma4_2015_enpdf 8 Ibid9 Rakesh Kocher ldquoMapping the Global Population How Many Live on How Much and Whererdquo Pew Research Center 2015 Web accessed 23 December 2015

httpwwwpewglobalorg20150708mapping-the-global-population-how-many-live-on-how-much-and-where 10 Note that the data in this report responds to the definition of the World Map of Microinsurance Programme and does not necessarily reflect the definition of the

jurisdiction in which the insurance is offered nor the internal definition within a particular institution

Developed specifically for low-income population

Affordable

Managed based on risk principles

Definition 3 key criteria

in Figure 110 with further details in Ap-pendix B) ldquoMicroinsurancerdquo intention-ally focuses on the low-income client segment which provides an opportunity to build a market for the future as those market participants also rise into the middle class

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

10

11 Coverage ratio calculated as identified lives insured by microinsurance total population

2 Landscape of microshyinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot

A total of 618 million Africans were identified as being covered by micro-insurance as of the end of 2014 Map 1 below provides a snapshot of microin-

surance coverage ratios by country in-dicated by the shading and total lives covered indicated by the size of the bub-ble Figure 2 provides key indicators at

the regional level and for context Table 1 provides key coverage data from the prior three landscape studies in Africa (2005 2008 2011)

012M

013M

013M

014M

016M

015M

016M

026M

027M

027M

028M

035M

SWAZILAND214

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR02

MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

03

ZAMBIA222

MALAWI16

TANZANIA39

BURUNDI12

CONGO01

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE0

SUDAN12

SOUTH SUDAN0CENT

AFRICAN REP0

EGYPT03

TUNISIA22

NIGER02 CHAD

0

NIGERIA10

BENIN21

GHANA290

TOGO34

BURKINA FASO28

MALI08

SENEGAL11

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA03

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

07

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON18

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

04

KENYA60

COMOROS85

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDA12

UGANDA67

ETHIOPIA19 SOMALIA

0

BOTSWANA28

SOUTH AFRICA640

NAMIBIA148

SIERRA LEONElt01

MAURITANIA03

ALGERIA03 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10M

5-10M

1M - lt 5M

03 - lt 1M

lt03M0

Lives insured (total number)(millions)

0M

3456M

766M

0M

0M

0M

DJIBOUTI0 0M

0M

0M

lt0M

0M

0M

0M

ERITREA0 0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

001M003M

004M

005M

006M

006M

008M

022M

024M

025M

041M

045M

048M

182M183M

199M

261M272M

334M

ZIMBABWE11

gt30

gt15-30

gt5-15

2-5

lt2

0

No data

Covered ratio (n of lives insuredtotal population)()

MOROCCO13042M

MAP 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA - 2014

11

2 LANDSCAPE OF MICRO INSURANCE IN AFRICA 2014 SNAPSHOT

TABLE 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA OVER TIME

2005 200812 2011 2014 Comparable growth13 (2011-2014)

Coverage ratio (proportion of total population covered by one or more microinsurance products)

040 180 440 540 NA

Total identified lives insured14 3515 million 147 million 444 million 618 million 29

Life 01 9216 339 464 25

Accident 16 NA 2 131 487

Credit life 19 7 88 164 88

Health 15 19 24 84 522

Property 03 03 08 45 308

Agriculture17 0 01 02 11 564

12 Matul et al March 2010 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa Geneva ILO13 Comparable growth rates from the 2011-2014 period were calculated using only institutions that provided data during both study years plus new market entrants

The 2008 and 2005 data displayed in the table are what those respective studies identified and are not necessarily comparable to the two most recent years of data

14 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

15 Note that the 2005 study did NOT include South Africa which comprises a significant share of the total market Data from Roth et al 2007 The Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries Appleton MicroInsurance Centre

16 For 2008 data only lives covered by life and accident covers were reported together17 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

FIGURE 2KEY FIGURES

164

464

84

45

11

131

Credit Life

Life

Accident

Health

Property

Agriculture

The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

36countries in which MI

was identified

gt200providers reporting data

Microinsurance gross written premium reported

Identified lives insured by product type (millions)

2011USD 387 million

2014USD 756 million

Comparable growth 63

The 2011 microinsurance gross written premiums amount has been adjusted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 5: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

5

FOREWORD

Foreword by Munich Re Foundation

Microinsurance has been making great progress in recent years New markets are being explored and new products and operational strategies introduced A number of governments have started to develop regulatory frameworks to facilitate the devel-opment of innovative solutions As more and more stakeholders see the potential of microinsurance for business and development the need for a detailed and up-to-date overview of microinsurance activities increases

In 2006 first results from the ground-breaking study ldquoThe Landscape of Microinsur-ance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countriesrdquo were published Since 2012 annual re-gional landscape studies initiated by the Munich Re Foundation co-published with the Microinsurance Network have provided the data underpinning the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) The mission of the WMM project is to collect impartial data on the industry in order to reveal market potential monitor growth identify trends and promote innovation

We were very pleased to see that data from the WMM was used in the preparation of the 2015 G7 decision to provide an additional 400 million poor people with insurance against the risks of climate change by 2020 Although this is an unprecedented op-portunity a lot of challenges lie ahead A better understanding of the data required to support the decision-making process of the various market players is needed Accessibility and outreach must be improved In line with the Munich Re Foundationrsquos motto ldquofrom knowledge to actionrdquo we are convinced that reliable data on microinsur-ance markets is essential to the development of inclusive insurance markets and thus leads to better protection of the poor against various risks

This new Landscape Study on Africa provides important new information on opportu-nities for and challenges faced by microinsurance in the region We are very proud to be an active partner of the WMM project and we would like to thank all other sponsors and partners of this study especially Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) the Microinsurance Network team the research team led by the Microinsurance Centre the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuumlr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Dirk ReinhardVice Chairman

Munich Re Foundation

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

6

Foreword by Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A)

Insurance protects families livelihoods and communities from the financial loss of unanticipated events Vulnerability to risk is a constant in the lives of the poor and a cause of persistent poverty Microinsurance helps to protect the poor from often catastrophic events and therefore directly supports poverty alleviation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study provides valuable data that highlights and supports the growth of the industry in Africa Data facilitates market development by furthering best practices and supporting the development of products that better serve the needs of existing and potential clients

Whilst penetration rates have improved significantly in Africa in recent years much remains to be done for the microinsurance industry to achieve its full potential Af-ricarsquos penetration rates are less than 5 well below the rate of 78 in Latin America and the number of lives covered in Africa is less than a third of those covered in Asia

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study is critical to understanding the mi-croinsurance industry in Africa More importantly it provides a crucial information platform to engage industry stakeholders ndash policy makers regulators private sec-tor operators and development partners - around the changes needed to enable the sector to play its full role in poverty alleviation in Africa In so doing the study brings together three key strands of the activities and mandate of the partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) Research knowledge management and advocacy

The partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) is proud to be associated with this study We are also delighted to be cooperating with the Microinsurance Network the Munich Re Foundation the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuumlr Internationale Zusam-menarbeit (GIZ) as well as the MicroInsurance Centre

We hope that this Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study will make a significant contribution to advancing microinsurance on the continent

David Ashiagbor Coordinator

Making Finance Work for Africa

7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This study reports on the latest activi-ties and current state of microinsurance in Africa as identified by the latest re-gional landscape study as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme The 2014 data presented in this publication were collected from over 200 microinsurance providers representing all 36 of 54 Af-rican countries where microinsurance is available In aggregate these institu-tions generated a total of USD 756 mil-lion in microinsurance gross written premiums in 2014 In terms of outreach 618 million people or 54 of the total regional population was identified as be-ing covered by some type of microinsur-ance product

The study aims to provide a comprehen-sive understanding of the environment in which both microinsurance and tradi-tional insurers operate in order to pro-mote sustainability of the microinsur-ance sector in Africa With a focus on the needs of insurers this report is intended as a tool which offers valuable and ac-tionable market intelligence of emerging trends and highlights vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the region

Business case Of the USD 69 billion in premiums generated by the insurance industry in Africa in 2014 USD 756 mil-lion were in microinsurance premiums making up 11 of the total South Africa continues to dominate in terms of pre-miums but several other countries wrote microinsurance premiums that account for a significant share of their respective insurance markets Premium growth since the last landscape study in 2011 on an aggregate comparative basis was 63 The study identified a downward trend in claims with loss ratios through-

Executive summary

More than 200 providers from 36 of 54 African countries surveyed reported microinsurance activity The study identified the following

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written premiums reported

54 of the total population covered

618 million Total identified lives insured2

464 Life

131 Accident

164 Credit life

84 Health

45 Property

11 Agriculture3

2 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

3 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

out the region and across product lines being relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate) as opposed to the 44 aggregate loss ratio reported in 2011

In the region administrative costs ex-cluding commissions across all product lines accounted for about 25 of pre-miums in the aggregate (22 median) A wide range across product lines was found with agriculture products having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate In an effort to be more cost-effective the region has continued to increase its use of mobile phones espe-cially in terms of customer service and marketing Technology is increasingly being used in premium collection and claims payment however manual pro-cesses still dominate Fewer than half of the respondents were able to provide clear information on their microinsur-ance operating expenses and under 25 reported that they account separately for their microinsurance expenses on a regular basis In terms of commissions the median across distribution channels was just 10 (aggregate of 17) with the highest commissions being found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels Regard-ing combined ratios the data calculated showed clear profitability for more than two-thirds of products The median com-bined ratio was 73 (86 median)

MNOs Emerging as an increasingly popular distribution channel MNOs products accounted for 13 of total lives covered in the region in 2014 MNO dis-tributed products are inexpensive for clients but not for insurers with com-bined admin and commission costs of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distrib-

uted products) and a higher proportion going towards commissions By almost every measure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others Whilst one third of reporting insurers currently have some sort of MNO partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no inten-tion to partner or some interest but no plans

Distribution The shift to mass market products seen in LAC has happened to some extent in the African region Mass market channels such as MNOs retail-ers and funeral parlours accounted for 44 of the distribution of microinsur-ance products in the region and also brought in more premiums than any other channel type with the exception of agents and brokers The most premi-

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

8

ums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent brokers channel The study dem-onstrates that certain channels are bet-ter suited for certain product types

Market growth and evolution The mi-croinsurance market in Africa experi-enced a steady growth in lives covered of nearly 30 and premiums grew by 63 The market showed dynamism with at least 37 new market entrants and nearly 100 new products whilst at the same time seeing 46 products taken off the market and eight providers choos-ing to discontinue their microinsurance programmes Most new products were launched in Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Common responses provided

for discontinuation of products included regulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Whilst life covers still dominate the overall market in Africa the region has experienced some evolution of product complexity The more complex health property and agriculture covers expe-rienced proportionately much higher growth Insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and using bundling as a way to deepen cover-age At the country level several coun-tries experienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the number of providers and types of prod-ucts offered

The way forward Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments in the microinsurance sector Though there is some evidence of a shift to the mass market beginning in Africa such as in LAC insurers are still more micro-fo-cused in terms of their future intentions Market education and financial literacy among consumers market demand studies to help inform insurers better distribution channels regulatory chang-es and more use of IT were reported as the top areas that if changed would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance Overall the develop-ments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

9

1 INTRODUCTION

FIGURE 1 MICROINSURANCE DEFINITION

1 Introduction

Understanding the environment in which stakeholders operate and do business is crucial to the sustainability and profit-ability of the microinsurance sector This study analyses the comprehensive data received by over 200 insurance provid-ers ndash including but not limited to regu-lated commercial insurers mutuals and some self-insured microfinance institu-tions ndash from 36 countries4 in Africa with the goal of providing insurers with es-sential insights into the microinsurance markets of the region and offering a perspective of products and profitability premiums and policyholders

Conducted as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme this regional study is based on 2014 data and is the fourth such study conducted in Africa Data was provided voluntarily by insurers in response to a formal online survey with follow-up phone calls for clarifications5 More de-tails on the World Map of Microinsurance and the landscape studies can be found in Appendix A and a detailed methodol-ogy is provided in Appendix B

The study identifies where microinsur-ance is succeeding or failing and the corresponding triggers In analysing the data provided we can better understand the dynamics of microinsurance in the region and the environment in which it operates The study focuses primarily on the needs of insurers providing valu-

able and actionable market intelligence of emerging trends and vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the re-gion and where possible results are also compared across regions6

In 2014 the total insurance industry in Africa brought in USD 690 billion in gross written premiums (GWP) This represents a slight inflation-adjusted growth of 16 from 2013 to 20147 Though the regionrsquos industry grew Af-rica still holds the smallest share of the world market accounting for just 14 of global gross written premiums in 20148 It is estimated that only about 6 of Africans are middle class mean-ing they earn between USD 10 and 20 per day Due to booming economies in several African countries and growing interest from investors worldwide the middle class is projected to grow sub-stantially within the next few decades However the current reality is that 39 of people in Africa are poor (earning less than USD 2 per day) and 54 - more than 600 million people ndash are considered low-income (earning between USD 201 and 10)9The implications for microinsurance are many including an extremely large target market and plenty of room for growth expansion and innovation

Thus many insurers have also focused on providing products for the low-in-come market or microinsurance (As defined for the purposes of this study

4 In 18 of the 54 countries no microinsurance was reported 5 Not all insurers participated Insurers were provided a promise of anonymity of their data Several respondents from the previous study declined to participate

The products that these institutions offered in 2011 accounted for almost 2 million lives covered (lt5 of the 2011 dataset) These products have been excluded from the 2011 data in any analysis comparing 2011 and 2014 data

6 Comparison is made based on the results of the regional landscape study of microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance and on the regional study The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania conducted by MicroSave prior to the establishment of the World Map of Microinsurance As the Asia study did not collect data on administrative expenses and commissions comparisons with Asia are not possible in all instances throughout this paper

7 Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34 Web accessed 23 December 2015 httpmediaswissrecomdocumentssigma4_2015_enpdf 8 Ibid9 Rakesh Kocher ldquoMapping the Global Population How Many Live on How Much and Whererdquo Pew Research Center 2015 Web accessed 23 December 2015

httpwwwpewglobalorg20150708mapping-the-global-population-how-many-live-on-how-much-and-where 10 Note that the data in this report responds to the definition of the World Map of Microinsurance Programme and does not necessarily reflect the definition of the

jurisdiction in which the insurance is offered nor the internal definition within a particular institution

Developed specifically for low-income population

Affordable

Managed based on risk principles

Definition 3 key criteria

in Figure 110 with further details in Ap-pendix B) ldquoMicroinsurancerdquo intention-ally focuses on the low-income client segment which provides an opportunity to build a market for the future as those market participants also rise into the middle class

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

10

11 Coverage ratio calculated as identified lives insured by microinsurance total population

2 Landscape of microshyinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot

A total of 618 million Africans were identified as being covered by micro-insurance as of the end of 2014 Map 1 below provides a snapshot of microin-

surance coverage ratios by country in-dicated by the shading and total lives covered indicated by the size of the bub-ble Figure 2 provides key indicators at

the regional level and for context Table 1 provides key coverage data from the prior three landscape studies in Africa (2005 2008 2011)

012M

013M

013M

014M

016M

015M

016M

026M

027M

027M

028M

035M

SWAZILAND214

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR02

MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

03

ZAMBIA222

MALAWI16

TANZANIA39

BURUNDI12

CONGO01

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE0

SUDAN12

SOUTH SUDAN0CENT

AFRICAN REP0

EGYPT03

TUNISIA22

NIGER02 CHAD

0

NIGERIA10

BENIN21

GHANA290

TOGO34

BURKINA FASO28

MALI08

SENEGAL11

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA03

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

07

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON18

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

04

KENYA60

COMOROS85

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDA12

UGANDA67

ETHIOPIA19 SOMALIA

0

BOTSWANA28

SOUTH AFRICA640

NAMIBIA148

SIERRA LEONElt01

MAURITANIA03

ALGERIA03 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10M

5-10M

1M - lt 5M

03 - lt 1M

lt03M0

Lives insured (total number)(millions)

0M

3456M

766M

0M

0M

0M

DJIBOUTI0 0M

0M

0M

lt0M

0M

0M

0M

ERITREA0 0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

001M003M

004M

005M

006M

006M

008M

022M

024M

025M

041M

045M

048M

182M183M

199M

261M272M

334M

ZIMBABWE11

gt30

gt15-30

gt5-15

2-5

lt2

0

No data

Covered ratio (n of lives insuredtotal population)()

MOROCCO13042M

MAP 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA - 2014

11

2 LANDSCAPE OF MICRO INSURANCE IN AFRICA 2014 SNAPSHOT

TABLE 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA OVER TIME

2005 200812 2011 2014 Comparable growth13 (2011-2014)

Coverage ratio (proportion of total population covered by one or more microinsurance products)

040 180 440 540 NA

Total identified lives insured14 3515 million 147 million 444 million 618 million 29

Life 01 9216 339 464 25

Accident 16 NA 2 131 487

Credit life 19 7 88 164 88

Health 15 19 24 84 522

Property 03 03 08 45 308

Agriculture17 0 01 02 11 564

12 Matul et al March 2010 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa Geneva ILO13 Comparable growth rates from the 2011-2014 period were calculated using only institutions that provided data during both study years plus new market entrants

The 2008 and 2005 data displayed in the table are what those respective studies identified and are not necessarily comparable to the two most recent years of data

14 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

15 Note that the 2005 study did NOT include South Africa which comprises a significant share of the total market Data from Roth et al 2007 The Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries Appleton MicroInsurance Centre

16 For 2008 data only lives covered by life and accident covers were reported together17 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

FIGURE 2KEY FIGURES

164

464

84

45

11

131

Credit Life

Life

Accident

Health

Property

Agriculture

The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

36countries in which MI

was identified

gt200providers reporting data

Microinsurance gross written premium reported

Identified lives insured by product type (millions)

2011USD 387 million

2014USD 756 million

Comparable growth 63

The 2011 microinsurance gross written premiums amount has been adjusted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 6: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

6

Foreword by Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A)

Insurance protects families livelihoods and communities from the financial loss of unanticipated events Vulnerability to risk is a constant in the lives of the poor and a cause of persistent poverty Microinsurance helps to protect the poor from often catastrophic events and therefore directly supports poverty alleviation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study provides valuable data that highlights and supports the growth of the industry in Africa Data facilitates market development by furthering best practices and supporting the development of products that better serve the needs of existing and potential clients

Whilst penetration rates have improved significantly in Africa in recent years much remains to be done for the microinsurance industry to achieve its full potential Af-ricarsquos penetration rates are less than 5 well below the rate of 78 in Latin America and the number of lives covered in Africa is less than a third of those covered in Asia

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study is critical to understanding the mi-croinsurance industry in Africa More importantly it provides a crucial information platform to engage industry stakeholders ndash policy makers regulators private sec-tor operators and development partners - around the changes needed to enable the sector to play its full role in poverty alleviation in Africa In so doing the study brings together three key strands of the activities and mandate of the partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) Research knowledge management and advocacy

The partnership Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) is proud to be associated with this study We are also delighted to be cooperating with the Microinsurance Network the Munich Re Foundation the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuumlr Internationale Zusam-menarbeit (GIZ) as well as the MicroInsurance Centre

We hope that this Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study will make a significant contribution to advancing microinsurance on the continent

David Ashiagbor Coordinator

Making Finance Work for Africa

7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This study reports on the latest activi-ties and current state of microinsurance in Africa as identified by the latest re-gional landscape study as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme The 2014 data presented in this publication were collected from over 200 microinsurance providers representing all 36 of 54 Af-rican countries where microinsurance is available In aggregate these institu-tions generated a total of USD 756 mil-lion in microinsurance gross written premiums in 2014 In terms of outreach 618 million people or 54 of the total regional population was identified as be-ing covered by some type of microinsur-ance product

The study aims to provide a comprehen-sive understanding of the environment in which both microinsurance and tradi-tional insurers operate in order to pro-mote sustainability of the microinsur-ance sector in Africa With a focus on the needs of insurers this report is intended as a tool which offers valuable and ac-tionable market intelligence of emerging trends and highlights vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the region

Business case Of the USD 69 billion in premiums generated by the insurance industry in Africa in 2014 USD 756 mil-lion were in microinsurance premiums making up 11 of the total South Africa continues to dominate in terms of pre-miums but several other countries wrote microinsurance premiums that account for a significant share of their respective insurance markets Premium growth since the last landscape study in 2011 on an aggregate comparative basis was 63 The study identified a downward trend in claims with loss ratios through-

Executive summary

More than 200 providers from 36 of 54 African countries surveyed reported microinsurance activity The study identified the following

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written premiums reported

54 of the total population covered

618 million Total identified lives insured2

464 Life

131 Accident

164 Credit life

84 Health

45 Property

11 Agriculture3

2 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

3 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

out the region and across product lines being relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate) as opposed to the 44 aggregate loss ratio reported in 2011

In the region administrative costs ex-cluding commissions across all product lines accounted for about 25 of pre-miums in the aggregate (22 median) A wide range across product lines was found with agriculture products having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate In an effort to be more cost-effective the region has continued to increase its use of mobile phones espe-cially in terms of customer service and marketing Technology is increasingly being used in premium collection and claims payment however manual pro-cesses still dominate Fewer than half of the respondents were able to provide clear information on their microinsur-ance operating expenses and under 25 reported that they account separately for their microinsurance expenses on a regular basis In terms of commissions the median across distribution channels was just 10 (aggregate of 17) with the highest commissions being found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels Regard-ing combined ratios the data calculated showed clear profitability for more than two-thirds of products The median com-bined ratio was 73 (86 median)

MNOs Emerging as an increasingly popular distribution channel MNOs products accounted for 13 of total lives covered in the region in 2014 MNO dis-tributed products are inexpensive for clients but not for insurers with com-bined admin and commission costs of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distrib-

uted products) and a higher proportion going towards commissions By almost every measure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others Whilst one third of reporting insurers currently have some sort of MNO partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no inten-tion to partner or some interest but no plans

Distribution The shift to mass market products seen in LAC has happened to some extent in the African region Mass market channels such as MNOs retail-ers and funeral parlours accounted for 44 of the distribution of microinsur-ance products in the region and also brought in more premiums than any other channel type with the exception of agents and brokers The most premi-

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

8

ums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent brokers channel The study dem-onstrates that certain channels are bet-ter suited for certain product types

Market growth and evolution The mi-croinsurance market in Africa experi-enced a steady growth in lives covered of nearly 30 and premiums grew by 63 The market showed dynamism with at least 37 new market entrants and nearly 100 new products whilst at the same time seeing 46 products taken off the market and eight providers choos-ing to discontinue their microinsurance programmes Most new products were launched in Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Common responses provided

for discontinuation of products included regulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Whilst life covers still dominate the overall market in Africa the region has experienced some evolution of product complexity The more complex health property and agriculture covers expe-rienced proportionately much higher growth Insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and using bundling as a way to deepen cover-age At the country level several coun-tries experienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the number of providers and types of prod-ucts offered

The way forward Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments in the microinsurance sector Though there is some evidence of a shift to the mass market beginning in Africa such as in LAC insurers are still more micro-fo-cused in terms of their future intentions Market education and financial literacy among consumers market demand studies to help inform insurers better distribution channels regulatory chang-es and more use of IT were reported as the top areas that if changed would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance Overall the develop-ments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

9

1 INTRODUCTION

FIGURE 1 MICROINSURANCE DEFINITION

1 Introduction

Understanding the environment in which stakeholders operate and do business is crucial to the sustainability and profit-ability of the microinsurance sector This study analyses the comprehensive data received by over 200 insurance provid-ers ndash including but not limited to regu-lated commercial insurers mutuals and some self-insured microfinance institu-tions ndash from 36 countries4 in Africa with the goal of providing insurers with es-sential insights into the microinsurance markets of the region and offering a perspective of products and profitability premiums and policyholders

Conducted as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme this regional study is based on 2014 data and is the fourth such study conducted in Africa Data was provided voluntarily by insurers in response to a formal online survey with follow-up phone calls for clarifications5 More de-tails on the World Map of Microinsurance and the landscape studies can be found in Appendix A and a detailed methodol-ogy is provided in Appendix B

The study identifies where microinsur-ance is succeeding or failing and the corresponding triggers In analysing the data provided we can better understand the dynamics of microinsurance in the region and the environment in which it operates The study focuses primarily on the needs of insurers providing valu-

able and actionable market intelligence of emerging trends and vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the re-gion and where possible results are also compared across regions6

In 2014 the total insurance industry in Africa brought in USD 690 billion in gross written premiums (GWP) This represents a slight inflation-adjusted growth of 16 from 2013 to 20147 Though the regionrsquos industry grew Af-rica still holds the smallest share of the world market accounting for just 14 of global gross written premiums in 20148 It is estimated that only about 6 of Africans are middle class mean-ing they earn between USD 10 and 20 per day Due to booming economies in several African countries and growing interest from investors worldwide the middle class is projected to grow sub-stantially within the next few decades However the current reality is that 39 of people in Africa are poor (earning less than USD 2 per day) and 54 - more than 600 million people ndash are considered low-income (earning between USD 201 and 10)9The implications for microinsurance are many including an extremely large target market and plenty of room for growth expansion and innovation

Thus many insurers have also focused on providing products for the low-in-come market or microinsurance (As defined for the purposes of this study

4 In 18 of the 54 countries no microinsurance was reported 5 Not all insurers participated Insurers were provided a promise of anonymity of their data Several respondents from the previous study declined to participate

The products that these institutions offered in 2011 accounted for almost 2 million lives covered (lt5 of the 2011 dataset) These products have been excluded from the 2011 data in any analysis comparing 2011 and 2014 data

6 Comparison is made based on the results of the regional landscape study of microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance and on the regional study The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania conducted by MicroSave prior to the establishment of the World Map of Microinsurance As the Asia study did not collect data on administrative expenses and commissions comparisons with Asia are not possible in all instances throughout this paper

7 Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34 Web accessed 23 December 2015 httpmediaswissrecomdocumentssigma4_2015_enpdf 8 Ibid9 Rakesh Kocher ldquoMapping the Global Population How Many Live on How Much and Whererdquo Pew Research Center 2015 Web accessed 23 December 2015

httpwwwpewglobalorg20150708mapping-the-global-population-how-many-live-on-how-much-and-where 10 Note that the data in this report responds to the definition of the World Map of Microinsurance Programme and does not necessarily reflect the definition of the

jurisdiction in which the insurance is offered nor the internal definition within a particular institution

Developed specifically for low-income population

Affordable

Managed based on risk principles

Definition 3 key criteria

in Figure 110 with further details in Ap-pendix B) ldquoMicroinsurancerdquo intention-ally focuses on the low-income client segment which provides an opportunity to build a market for the future as those market participants also rise into the middle class

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

10

11 Coverage ratio calculated as identified lives insured by microinsurance total population

2 Landscape of microshyinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot

A total of 618 million Africans were identified as being covered by micro-insurance as of the end of 2014 Map 1 below provides a snapshot of microin-

surance coverage ratios by country in-dicated by the shading and total lives covered indicated by the size of the bub-ble Figure 2 provides key indicators at

the regional level and for context Table 1 provides key coverage data from the prior three landscape studies in Africa (2005 2008 2011)

012M

013M

013M

014M

016M

015M

016M

026M

027M

027M

028M

035M

SWAZILAND214

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR02

MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

03

ZAMBIA222

MALAWI16

TANZANIA39

BURUNDI12

CONGO01

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE0

SUDAN12

SOUTH SUDAN0CENT

AFRICAN REP0

EGYPT03

TUNISIA22

NIGER02 CHAD

0

NIGERIA10

BENIN21

GHANA290

TOGO34

BURKINA FASO28

MALI08

SENEGAL11

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA03

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

07

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON18

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

04

KENYA60

COMOROS85

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDA12

UGANDA67

ETHIOPIA19 SOMALIA

0

BOTSWANA28

SOUTH AFRICA640

NAMIBIA148

SIERRA LEONElt01

MAURITANIA03

ALGERIA03 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10M

5-10M

1M - lt 5M

03 - lt 1M

lt03M0

Lives insured (total number)(millions)

0M

3456M

766M

0M

0M

0M

DJIBOUTI0 0M

0M

0M

lt0M

0M

0M

0M

ERITREA0 0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

001M003M

004M

005M

006M

006M

008M

022M

024M

025M

041M

045M

048M

182M183M

199M

261M272M

334M

ZIMBABWE11

gt30

gt15-30

gt5-15

2-5

lt2

0

No data

Covered ratio (n of lives insuredtotal population)()

MOROCCO13042M

MAP 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA - 2014

11

2 LANDSCAPE OF MICRO INSURANCE IN AFRICA 2014 SNAPSHOT

TABLE 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA OVER TIME

2005 200812 2011 2014 Comparable growth13 (2011-2014)

Coverage ratio (proportion of total population covered by one or more microinsurance products)

040 180 440 540 NA

Total identified lives insured14 3515 million 147 million 444 million 618 million 29

Life 01 9216 339 464 25

Accident 16 NA 2 131 487

Credit life 19 7 88 164 88

Health 15 19 24 84 522

Property 03 03 08 45 308

Agriculture17 0 01 02 11 564

12 Matul et al March 2010 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa Geneva ILO13 Comparable growth rates from the 2011-2014 period were calculated using only institutions that provided data during both study years plus new market entrants

The 2008 and 2005 data displayed in the table are what those respective studies identified and are not necessarily comparable to the two most recent years of data

14 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

15 Note that the 2005 study did NOT include South Africa which comprises a significant share of the total market Data from Roth et al 2007 The Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries Appleton MicroInsurance Centre

16 For 2008 data only lives covered by life and accident covers were reported together17 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

FIGURE 2KEY FIGURES

164

464

84

45

11

131

Credit Life

Life

Accident

Health

Property

Agriculture

The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

36countries in which MI

was identified

gt200providers reporting data

Microinsurance gross written premium reported

Identified lives insured by product type (millions)

2011USD 387 million

2014USD 756 million

Comparable growth 63

The 2011 microinsurance gross written premiums amount has been adjusted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 7: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This study reports on the latest activi-ties and current state of microinsurance in Africa as identified by the latest re-gional landscape study as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme The 2014 data presented in this publication were collected from over 200 microinsurance providers representing all 36 of 54 Af-rican countries where microinsurance is available In aggregate these institu-tions generated a total of USD 756 mil-lion in microinsurance gross written premiums in 2014 In terms of outreach 618 million people or 54 of the total regional population was identified as be-ing covered by some type of microinsur-ance product

The study aims to provide a comprehen-sive understanding of the environment in which both microinsurance and tradi-tional insurers operate in order to pro-mote sustainability of the microinsur-ance sector in Africa With a focus on the needs of insurers this report is intended as a tool which offers valuable and ac-tionable market intelligence of emerging trends and highlights vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the region

Business case Of the USD 69 billion in premiums generated by the insurance industry in Africa in 2014 USD 756 mil-lion were in microinsurance premiums making up 11 of the total South Africa continues to dominate in terms of pre-miums but several other countries wrote microinsurance premiums that account for a significant share of their respective insurance markets Premium growth since the last landscape study in 2011 on an aggregate comparative basis was 63 The study identified a downward trend in claims with loss ratios through-

Executive summary

More than 200 providers from 36 of 54 African countries surveyed reported microinsurance activity The study identified the following

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written premiums reported

54 of the total population covered

618 million Total identified lives insured2

464 Life

131 Accident

164 Credit life

84 Health

45 Property

11 Agriculture3

2 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

3 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

out the region and across product lines being relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate) as opposed to the 44 aggregate loss ratio reported in 2011

In the region administrative costs ex-cluding commissions across all product lines accounted for about 25 of pre-miums in the aggregate (22 median) A wide range across product lines was found with agriculture products having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate In an effort to be more cost-effective the region has continued to increase its use of mobile phones espe-cially in terms of customer service and marketing Technology is increasingly being used in premium collection and claims payment however manual pro-cesses still dominate Fewer than half of the respondents were able to provide clear information on their microinsur-ance operating expenses and under 25 reported that they account separately for their microinsurance expenses on a regular basis In terms of commissions the median across distribution channels was just 10 (aggregate of 17) with the highest commissions being found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels Regard-ing combined ratios the data calculated showed clear profitability for more than two-thirds of products The median com-bined ratio was 73 (86 median)

MNOs Emerging as an increasingly popular distribution channel MNOs products accounted for 13 of total lives covered in the region in 2014 MNO dis-tributed products are inexpensive for clients but not for insurers with com-bined admin and commission costs of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distrib-

uted products) and a higher proportion going towards commissions By almost every measure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others Whilst one third of reporting insurers currently have some sort of MNO partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no inten-tion to partner or some interest but no plans

Distribution The shift to mass market products seen in LAC has happened to some extent in the African region Mass market channels such as MNOs retail-ers and funeral parlours accounted for 44 of the distribution of microinsur-ance products in the region and also brought in more premiums than any other channel type with the exception of agents and brokers The most premi-

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

8

ums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent brokers channel The study dem-onstrates that certain channels are bet-ter suited for certain product types

Market growth and evolution The mi-croinsurance market in Africa experi-enced a steady growth in lives covered of nearly 30 and premiums grew by 63 The market showed dynamism with at least 37 new market entrants and nearly 100 new products whilst at the same time seeing 46 products taken off the market and eight providers choos-ing to discontinue their microinsurance programmes Most new products were launched in Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Common responses provided

for discontinuation of products included regulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Whilst life covers still dominate the overall market in Africa the region has experienced some evolution of product complexity The more complex health property and agriculture covers expe-rienced proportionately much higher growth Insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and using bundling as a way to deepen cover-age At the country level several coun-tries experienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the number of providers and types of prod-ucts offered

The way forward Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments in the microinsurance sector Though there is some evidence of a shift to the mass market beginning in Africa such as in LAC insurers are still more micro-fo-cused in terms of their future intentions Market education and financial literacy among consumers market demand studies to help inform insurers better distribution channels regulatory chang-es and more use of IT were reported as the top areas that if changed would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance Overall the develop-ments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

9

1 INTRODUCTION

FIGURE 1 MICROINSURANCE DEFINITION

1 Introduction

Understanding the environment in which stakeholders operate and do business is crucial to the sustainability and profit-ability of the microinsurance sector This study analyses the comprehensive data received by over 200 insurance provid-ers ndash including but not limited to regu-lated commercial insurers mutuals and some self-insured microfinance institu-tions ndash from 36 countries4 in Africa with the goal of providing insurers with es-sential insights into the microinsurance markets of the region and offering a perspective of products and profitability premiums and policyholders

Conducted as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme this regional study is based on 2014 data and is the fourth such study conducted in Africa Data was provided voluntarily by insurers in response to a formal online survey with follow-up phone calls for clarifications5 More de-tails on the World Map of Microinsurance and the landscape studies can be found in Appendix A and a detailed methodol-ogy is provided in Appendix B

The study identifies where microinsur-ance is succeeding or failing and the corresponding triggers In analysing the data provided we can better understand the dynamics of microinsurance in the region and the environment in which it operates The study focuses primarily on the needs of insurers providing valu-

able and actionable market intelligence of emerging trends and vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the re-gion and where possible results are also compared across regions6

In 2014 the total insurance industry in Africa brought in USD 690 billion in gross written premiums (GWP) This represents a slight inflation-adjusted growth of 16 from 2013 to 20147 Though the regionrsquos industry grew Af-rica still holds the smallest share of the world market accounting for just 14 of global gross written premiums in 20148 It is estimated that only about 6 of Africans are middle class mean-ing they earn between USD 10 and 20 per day Due to booming economies in several African countries and growing interest from investors worldwide the middle class is projected to grow sub-stantially within the next few decades However the current reality is that 39 of people in Africa are poor (earning less than USD 2 per day) and 54 - more than 600 million people ndash are considered low-income (earning between USD 201 and 10)9The implications for microinsurance are many including an extremely large target market and plenty of room for growth expansion and innovation

Thus many insurers have also focused on providing products for the low-in-come market or microinsurance (As defined for the purposes of this study

4 In 18 of the 54 countries no microinsurance was reported 5 Not all insurers participated Insurers were provided a promise of anonymity of their data Several respondents from the previous study declined to participate

The products that these institutions offered in 2011 accounted for almost 2 million lives covered (lt5 of the 2011 dataset) These products have been excluded from the 2011 data in any analysis comparing 2011 and 2014 data

6 Comparison is made based on the results of the regional landscape study of microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance and on the regional study The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania conducted by MicroSave prior to the establishment of the World Map of Microinsurance As the Asia study did not collect data on administrative expenses and commissions comparisons with Asia are not possible in all instances throughout this paper

7 Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34 Web accessed 23 December 2015 httpmediaswissrecomdocumentssigma4_2015_enpdf 8 Ibid9 Rakesh Kocher ldquoMapping the Global Population How Many Live on How Much and Whererdquo Pew Research Center 2015 Web accessed 23 December 2015

httpwwwpewglobalorg20150708mapping-the-global-population-how-many-live-on-how-much-and-where 10 Note that the data in this report responds to the definition of the World Map of Microinsurance Programme and does not necessarily reflect the definition of the

jurisdiction in which the insurance is offered nor the internal definition within a particular institution

Developed specifically for low-income population

Affordable

Managed based on risk principles

Definition 3 key criteria

in Figure 110 with further details in Ap-pendix B) ldquoMicroinsurancerdquo intention-ally focuses on the low-income client segment which provides an opportunity to build a market for the future as those market participants also rise into the middle class

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

10

11 Coverage ratio calculated as identified lives insured by microinsurance total population

2 Landscape of microshyinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot

A total of 618 million Africans were identified as being covered by micro-insurance as of the end of 2014 Map 1 below provides a snapshot of microin-

surance coverage ratios by country in-dicated by the shading and total lives covered indicated by the size of the bub-ble Figure 2 provides key indicators at

the regional level and for context Table 1 provides key coverage data from the prior three landscape studies in Africa (2005 2008 2011)

012M

013M

013M

014M

016M

015M

016M

026M

027M

027M

028M

035M

SWAZILAND214

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR02

MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

03

ZAMBIA222

MALAWI16

TANZANIA39

BURUNDI12

CONGO01

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE0

SUDAN12

SOUTH SUDAN0CENT

AFRICAN REP0

EGYPT03

TUNISIA22

NIGER02 CHAD

0

NIGERIA10

BENIN21

GHANA290

TOGO34

BURKINA FASO28

MALI08

SENEGAL11

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA03

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

07

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON18

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

04

KENYA60

COMOROS85

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDA12

UGANDA67

ETHIOPIA19 SOMALIA

0

BOTSWANA28

SOUTH AFRICA640

NAMIBIA148

SIERRA LEONElt01

MAURITANIA03

ALGERIA03 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10M

5-10M

1M - lt 5M

03 - lt 1M

lt03M0

Lives insured (total number)(millions)

0M

3456M

766M

0M

0M

0M

DJIBOUTI0 0M

0M

0M

lt0M

0M

0M

0M

ERITREA0 0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

001M003M

004M

005M

006M

006M

008M

022M

024M

025M

041M

045M

048M

182M183M

199M

261M272M

334M

ZIMBABWE11

gt30

gt15-30

gt5-15

2-5

lt2

0

No data

Covered ratio (n of lives insuredtotal population)()

MOROCCO13042M

MAP 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA - 2014

11

2 LANDSCAPE OF MICRO INSURANCE IN AFRICA 2014 SNAPSHOT

TABLE 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA OVER TIME

2005 200812 2011 2014 Comparable growth13 (2011-2014)

Coverage ratio (proportion of total population covered by one or more microinsurance products)

040 180 440 540 NA

Total identified lives insured14 3515 million 147 million 444 million 618 million 29

Life 01 9216 339 464 25

Accident 16 NA 2 131 487

Credit life 19 7 88 164 88

Health 15 19 24 84 522

Property 03 03 08 45 308

Agriculture17 0 01 02 11 564

12 Matul et al March 2010 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa Geneva ILO13 Comparable growth rates from the 2011-2014 period were calculated using only institutions that provided data during both study years plus new market entrants

The 2008 and 2005 data displayed in the table are what those respective studies identified and are not necessarily comparable to the two most recent years of data

14 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

15 Note that the 2005 study did NOT include South Africa which comprises a significant share of the total market Data from Roth et al 2007 The Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries Appleton MicroInsurance Centre

16 For 2008 data only lives covered by life and accident covers were reported together17 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

FIGURE 2KEY FIGURES

164

464

84

45

11

131

Credit Life

Life

Accident

Health

Property

Agriculture

The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

36countries in which MI

was identified

gt200providers reporting data

Microinsurance gross written premium reported

Identified lives insured by product type (millions)

2011USD 387 million

2014USD 756 million

Comparable growth 63

The 2011 microinsurance gross written premiums amount has been adjusted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 8: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

8

ums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent brokers channel The study dem-onstrates that certain channels are bet-ter suited for certain product types

Market growth and evolution The mi-croinsurance market in Africa experi-enced a steady growth in lives covered of nearly 30 and premiums grew by 63 The market showed dynamism with at least 37 new market entrants and nearly 100 new products whilst at the same time seeing 46 products taken off the market and eight providers choos-ing to discontinue their microinsurance programmes Most new products were launched in Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Common responses provided

for discontinuation of products included regulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Whilst life covers still dominate the overall market in Africa the region has experienced some evolution of product complexity The more complex health property and agriculture covers expe-rienced proportionately much higher growth Insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and using bundling as a way to deepen cover-age At the country level several coun-tries experienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the number of providers and types of prod-ucts offered

The way forward Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments in the microinsurance sector Though there is some evidence of a shift to the mass market beginning in Africa such as in LAC insurers are still more micro-fo-cused in terms of their future intentions Market education and financial literacy among consumers market demand studies to help inform insurers better distribution channels regulatory chang-es and more use of IT were reported as the top areas that if changed would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance Overall the develop-ments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

9

1 INTRODUCTION

FIGURE 1 MICROINSURANCE DEFINITION

1 Introduction

Understanding the environment in which stakeholders operate and do business is crucial to the sustainability and profit-ability of the microinsurance sector This study analyses the comprehensive data received by over 200 insurance provid-ers ndash including but not limited to regu-lated commercial insurers mutuals and some self-insured microfinance institu-tions ndash from 36 countries4 in Africa with the goal of providing insurers with es-sential insights into the microinsurance markets of the region and offering a perspective of products and profitability premiums and policyholders

Conducted as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme this regional study is based on 2014 data and is the fourth such study conducted in Africa Data was provided voluntarily by insurers in response to a formal online survey with follow-up phone calls for clarifications5 More de-tails on the World Map of Microinsurance and the landscape studies can be found in Appendix A and a detailed methodol-ogy is provided in Appendix B

The study identifies where microinsur-ance is succeeding or failing and the corresponding triggers In analysing the data provided we can better understand the dynamics of microinsurance in the region and the environment in which it operates The study focuses primarily on the needs of insurers providing valu-

able and actionable market intelligence of emerging trends and vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the re-gion and where possible results are also compared across regions6

In 2014 the total insurance industry in Africa brought in USD 690 billion in gross written premiums (GWP) This represents a slight inflation-adjusted growth of 16 from 2013 to 20147 Though the regionrsquos industry grew Af-rica still holds the smallest share of the world market accounting for just 14 of global gross written premiums in 20148 It is estimated that only about 6 of Africans are middle class mean-ing they earn between USD 10 and 20 per day Due to booming economies in several African countries and growing interest from investors worldwide the middle class is projected to grow sub-stantially within the next few decades However the current reality is that 39 of people in Africa are poor (earning less than USD 2 per day) and 54 - more than 600 million people ndash are considered low-income (earning between USD 201 and 10)9The implications for microinsurance are many including an extremely large target market and plenty of room for growth expansion and innovation

Thus many insurers have also focused on providing products for the low-in-come market or microinsurance (As defined for the purposes of this study

4 In 18 of the 54 countries no microinsurance was reported 5 Not all insurers participated Insurers were provided a promise of anonymity of their data Several respondents from the previous study declined to participate

The products that these institutions offered in 2011 accounted for almost 2 million lives covered (lt5 of the 2011 dataset) These products have been excluded from the 2011 data in any analysis comparing 2011 and 2014 data

6 Comparison is made based on the results of the regional landscape study of microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance and on the regional study The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania conducted by MicroSave prior to the establishment of the World Map of Microinsurance As the Asia study did not collect data on administrative expenses and commissions comparisons with Asia are not possible in all instances throughout this paper

7 Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34 Web accessed 23 December 2015 httpmediaswissrecomdocumentssigma4_2015_enpdf 8 Ibid9 Rakesh Kocher ldquoMapping the Global Population How Many Live on How Much and Whererdquo Pew Research Center 2015 Web accessed 23 December 2015

httpwwwpewglobalorg20150708mapping-the-global-population-how-many-live-on-how-much-and-where 10 Note that the data in this report responds to the definition of the World Map of Microinsurance Programme and does not necessarily reflect the definition of the

jurisdiction in which the insurance is offered nor the internal definition within a particular institution

Developed specifically for low-income population

Affordable

Managed based on risk principles

Definition 3 key criteria

in Figure 110 with further details in Ap-pendix B) ldquoMicroinsurancerdquo intention-ally focuses on the low-income client segment which provides an opportunity to build a market for the future as those market participants also rise into the middle class

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

10

11 Coverage ratio calculated as identified lives insured by microinsurance total population

2 Landscape of microshyinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot

A total of 618 million Africans were identified as being covered by micro-insurance as of the end of 2014 Map 1 below provides a snapshot of microin-

surance coverage ratios by country in-dicated by the shading and total lives covered indicated by the size of the bub-ble Figure 2 provides key indicators at

the regional level and for context Table 1 provides key coverage data from the prior three landscape studies in Africa (2005 2008 2011)

012M

013M

013M

014M

016M

015M

016M

026M

027M

027M

028M

035M

SWAZILAND214

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR02

MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

03

ZAMBIA222

MALAWI16

TANZANIA39

BURUNDI12

CONGO01

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE0

SUDAN12

SOUTH SUDAN0CENT

AFRICAN REP0

EGYPT03

TUNISIA22

NIGER02 CHAD

0

NIGERIA10

BENIN21

GHANA290

TOGO34

BURKINA FASO28

MALI08

SENEGAL11

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA03

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

07

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON18

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

04

KENYA60

COMOROS85

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDA12

UGANDA67

ETHIOPIA19 SOMALIA

0

BOTSWANA28

SOUTH AFRICA640

NAMIBIA148

SIERRA LEONElt01

MAURITANIA03

ALGERIA03 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10M

5-10M

1M - lt 5M

03 - lt 1M

lt03M0

Lives insured (total number)(millions)

0M

3456M

766M

0M

0M

0M

DJIBOUTI0 0M

0M

0M

lt0M

0M

0M

0M

ERITREA0 0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

001M003M

004M

005M

006M

006M

008M

022M

024M

025M

041M

045M

048M

182M183M

199M

261M272M

334M

ZIMBABWE11

gt30

gt15-30

gt5-15

2-5

lt2

0

No data

Covered ratio (n of lives insuredtotal population)()

MOROCCO13042M

MAP 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA - 2014

11

2 LANDSCAPE OF MICRO INSURANCE IN AFRICA 2014 SNAPSHOT

TABLE 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA OVER TIME

2005 200812 2011 2014 Comparable growth13 (2011-2014)

Coverage ratio (proportion of total population covered by one or more microinsurance products)

040 180 440 540 NA

Total identified lives insured14 3515 million 147 million 444 million 618 million 29

Life 01 9216 339 464 25

Accident 16 NA 2 131 487

Credit life 19 7 88 164 88

Health 15 19 24 84 522

Property 03 03 08 45 308

Agriculture17 0 01 02 11 564

12 Matul et al March 2010 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa Geneva ILO13 Comparable growth rates from the 2011-2014 period were calculated using only institutions that provided data during both study years plus new market entrants

The 2008 and 2005 data displayed in the table are what those respective studies identified and are not necessarily comparable to the two most recent years of data

14 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

15 Note that the 2005 study did NOT include South Africa which comprises a significant share of the total market Data from Roth et al 2007 The Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries Appleton MicroInsurance Centre

16 For 2008 data only lives covered by life and accident covers were reported together17 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

FIGURE 2KEY FIGURES

164

464

84

45

11

131

Credit Life

Life

Accident

Health

Property

Agriculture

The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

36countries in which MI

was identified

gt200providers reporting data

Microinsurance gross written premium reported

Identified lives insured by product type (millions)

2011USD 387 million

2014USD 756 million

Comparable growth 63

The 2011 microinsurance gross written premiums amount has been adjusted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 9: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

9

1 INTRODUCTION

FIGURE 1 MICROINSURANCE DEFINITION

1 Introduction

Understanding the environment in which stakeholders operate and do business is crucial to the sustainability and profit-ability of the microinsurance sector This study analyses the comprehensive data received by over 200 insurance provid-ers ndash including but not limited to regu-lated commercial insurers mutuals and some self-insured microfinance institu-tions ndash from 36 countries4 in Africa with the goal of providing insurers with es-sential insights into the microinsurance markets of the region and offering a perspective of products and profitability premiums and policyholders

Conducted as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance Programme this regional study is based on 2014 data and is the fourth such study conducted in Africa Data was provided voluntarily by insurers in response to a formal online survey with follow-up phone calls for clarifications5 More de-tails on the World Map of Microinsurance and the landscape studies can be found in Appendix A and a detailed methodol-ogy is provided in Appendix B

The study identifies where microinsur-ance is succeeding or failing and the corresponding triggers In analysing the data provided we can better understand the dynamics of microinsurance in the region and the environment in which it operates The study focuses primarily on the needs of insurers providing valu-

able and actionable market intelligence of emerging trends and vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the re-gion and where possible results are also compared across regions6

In 2014 the total insurance industry in Africa brought in USD 690 billion in gross written premiums (GWP) This represents a slight inflation-adjusted growth of 16 from 2013 to 20147 Though the regionrsquos industry grew Af-rica still holds the smallest share of the world market accounting for just 14 of global gross written premiums in 20148 It is estimated that only about 6 of Africans are middle class mean-ing they earn between USD 10 and 20 per day Due to booming economies in several African countries and growing interest from investors worldwide the middle class is projected to grow sub-stantially within the next few decades However the current reality is that 39 of people in Africa are poor (earning less than USD 2 per day) and 54 - more than 600 million people ndash are considered low-income (earning between USD 201 and 10)9The implications for microinsurance are many including an extremely large target market and plenty of room for growth expansion and innovation

Thus many insurers have also focused on providing products for the low-in-come market or microinsurance (As defined for the purposes of this study

4 In 18 of the 54 countries no microinsurance was reported 5 Not all insurers participated Insurers were provided a promise of anonymity of their data Several respondents from the previous study declined to participate

The products that these institutions offered in 2011 accounted for almost 2 million lives covered (lt5 of the 2011 dataset) These products have been excluded from the 2011 data in any analysis comparing 2011 and 2014 data

6 Comparison is made based on the results of the regional landscape study of microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre as part of the Microinsurance Networkrsquos World Map of Microinsurance and on the regional study The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania conducted by MicroSave prior to the establishment of the World Map of Microinsurance As the Asia study did not collect data on administrative expenses and commissions comparisons with Asia are not possible in all instances throughout this paper

7 Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34 Web accessed 23 December 2015 httpmediaswissrecomdocumentssigma4_2015_enpdf 8 Ibid9 Rakesh Kocher ldquoMapping the Global Population How Many Live on How Much and Whererdquo Pew Research Center 2015 Web accessed 23 December 2015

httpwwwpewglobalorg20150708mapping-the-global-population-how-many-live-on-how-much-and-where 10 Note that the data in this report responds to the definition of the World Map of Microinsurance Programme and does not necessarily reflect the definition of the

jurisdiction in which the insurance is offered nor the internal definition within a particular institution

Developed specifically for low-income population

Affordable

Managed based on risk principles

Definition 3 key criteria

in Figure 110 with further details in Ap-pendix B) ldquoMicroinsurancerdquo intention-ally focuses on the low-income client segment which provides an opportunity to build a market for the future as those market participants also rise into the middle class

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

10

11 Coverage ratio calculated as identified lives insured by microinsurance total population

2 Landscape of microshyinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot

A total of 618 million Africans were identified as being covered by micro-insurance as of the end of 2014 Map 1 below provides a snapshot of microin-

surance coverage ratios by country in-dicated by the shading and total lives covered indicated by the size of the bub-ble Figure 2 provides key indicators at

the regional level and for context Table 1 provides key coverage data from the prior three landscape studies in Africa (2005 2008 2011)

012M

013M

013M

014M

016M

015M

016M

026M

027M

027M

028M

035M

SWAZILAND214

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR02

MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

03

ZAMBIA222

MALAWI16

TANZANIA39

BURUNDI12

CONGO01

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE0

SUDAN12

SOUTH SUDAN0CENT

AFRICAN REP0

EGYPT03

TUNISIA22

NIGER02 CHAD

0

NIGERIA10

BENIN21

GHANA290

TOGO34

BURKINA FASO28

MALI08

SENEGAL11

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA03

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

07

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON18

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

04

KENYA60

COMOROS85

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDA12

UGANDA67

ETHIOPIA19 SOMALIA

0

BOTSWANA28

SOUTH AFRICA640

NAMIBIA148

SIERRA LEONElt01

MAURITANIA03

ALGERIA03 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10M

5-10M

1M - lt 5M

03 - lt 1M

lt03M0

Lives insured (total number)(millions)

0M

3456M

766M

0M

0M

0M

DJIBOUTI0 0M

0M

0M

lt0M

0M

0M

0M

ERITREA0 0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

001M003M

004M

005M

006M

006M

008M

022M

024M

025M

041M

045M

048M

182M183M

199M

261M272M

334M

ZIMBABWE11

gt30

gt15-30

gt5-15

2-5

lt2

0

No data

Covered ratio (n of lives insuredtotal population)()

MOROCCO13042M

MAP 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA - 2014

11

2 LANDSCAPE OF MICRO INSURANCE IN AFRICA 2014 SNAPSHOT

TABLE 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA OVER TIME

2005 200812 2011 2014 Comparable growth13 (2011-2014)

Coverage ratio (proportion of total population covered by one or more microinsurance products)

040 180 440 540 NA

Total identified lives insured14 3515 million 147 million 444 million 618 million 29

Life 01 9216 339 464 25

Accident 16 NA 2 131 487

Credit life 19 7 88 164 88

Health 15 19 24 84 522

Property 03 03 08 45 308

Agriculture17 0 01 02 11 564

12 Matul et al March 2010 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa Geneva ILO13 Comparable growth rates from the 2011-2014 period were calculated using only institutions that provided data during both study years plus new market entrants

The 2008 and 2005 data displayed in the table are what those respective studies identified and are not necessarily comparable to the two most recent years of data

14 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

15 Note that the 2005 study did NOT include South Africa which comprises a significant share of the total market Data from Roth et al 2007 The Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries Appleton MicroInsurance Centre

16 For 2008 data only lives covered by life and accident covers were reported together17 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

FIGURE 2KEY FIGURES

164

464

84

45

11

131

Credit Life

Life

Accident

Health

Property

Agriculture

The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

36countries in which MI

was identified

gt200providers reporting data

Microinsurance gross written premium reported

Identified lives insured by product type (millions)

2011USD 387 million

2014USD 756 million

Comparable growth 63

The 2011 microinsurance gross written premiums amount has been adjusted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 10: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

10

11 Coverage ratio calculated as identified lives insured by microinsurance total population

2 Landscape of microshyinsurance in Africa 2014 snapshot

A total of 618 million Africans were identified as being covered by micro-insurance as of the end of 2014 Map 1 below provides a snapshot of microin-

surance coverage ratios by country in-dicated by the shading and total lives covered indicated by the size of the bub-ble Figure 2 provides key indicators at

the regional level and for context Table 1 provides key coverage data from the prior three landscape studies in Africa (2005 2008 2011)

012M

013M

013M

014M

016M

015M

016M

026M

027M

027M

028M

035M

SWAZILAND214

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR02

MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

03

ZAMBIA222

MALAWI16

TANZANIA39

BURUNDI12

CONGO01

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE0

SUDAN12

SOUTH SUDAN0CENT

AFRICAN REP0

EGYPT03

TUNISIA22

NIGER02 CHAD

0

NIGERIA10

BENIN21

GHANA290

TOGO34

BURKINA FASO28

MALI08

SENEGAL11

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA03

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

07

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON18

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

04

KENYA60

COMOROS85

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDA12

UGANDA67

ETHIOPIA19 SOMALIA

0

BOTSWANA28

SOUTH AFRICA640

NAMIBIA148

SIERRA LEONElt01

MAURITANIA03

ALGERIA03 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10M

5-10M

1M - lt 5M

03 - lt 1M

lt03M0

Lives insured (total number)(millions)

0M

3456M

766M

0M

0M

0M

DJIBOUTI0 0M

0M

0M

lt0M

0M

0M

0M

ERITREA0 0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

0M

001M003M

004M

005M

006M

006M

008M

022M

024M

025M

041M

045M

048M

182M183M

199M

261M272M

334M

ZIMBABWE11

gt30

gt15-30

gt5-15

2-5

lt2

0

No data

Covered ratio (n of lives insuredtotal population)()

MOROCCO13042M

MAP 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA - 2014

11

2 LANDSCAPE OF MICRO INSURANCE IN AFRICA 2014 SNAPSHOT

TABLE 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA OVER TIME

2005 200812 2011 2014 Comparable growth13 (2011-2014)

Coverage ratio (proportion of total population covered by one or more microinsurance products)

040 180 440 540 NA

Total identified lives insured14 3515 million 147 million 444 million 618 million 29

Life 01 9216 339 464 25

Accident 16 NA 2 131 487

Credit life 19 7 88 164 88

Health 15 19 24 84 522

Property 03 03 08 45 308

Agriculture17 0 01 02 11 564

12 Matul et al March 2010 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa Geneva ILO13 Comparable growth rates from the 2011-2014 period were calculated using only institutions that provided data during both study years plus new market entrants

The 2008 and 2005 data displayed in the table are what those respective studies identified and are not necessarily comparable to the two most recent years of data

14 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

15 Note that the 2005 study did NOT include South Africa which comprises a significant share of the total market Data from Roth et al 2007 The Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries Appleton MicroInsurance Centre

16 For 2008 data only lives covered by life and accident covers were reported together17 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

FIGURE 2KEY FIGURES

164

464

84

45

11

131

Credit Life

Life

Accident

Health

Property

Agriculture

The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

36countries in which MI

was identified

gt200providers reporting data

Microinsurance gross written premium reported

Identified lives insured by product type (millions)

2011USD 387 million

2014USD 756 million

Comparable growth 63

The 2011 microinsurance gross written premiums amount has been adjusted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 11: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

11

2 LANDSCAPE OF MICRO INSURANCE IN AFRICA 2014 SNAPSHOT

TABLE 1MICROINSURANCE COVERAGE IN AFRICA OVER TIME

2005 200812 2011 2014 Comparable growth13 (2011-2014)

Coverage ratio (proportion of total population covered by one or more microinsurance products)

040 180 440 540 NA

Total identified lives insured14 3515 million 147 million 444 million 618 million 29

Life 01 9216 339 464 25

Accident 16 NA 2 131 487

Credit life 19 7 88 164 88

Health 15 19 24 84 522

Property 03 03 08 45 308

Agriculture17 0 01 02 11 564

12 Matul et al March 2010 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa Geneva ILO13 Comparable growth rates from the 2011-2014 period were calculated using only institutions that provided data during both study years plus new market entrants

The 2008 and 2005 data displayed in the table are what those respective studies identified and are not necessarily comparable to the two most recent years of data

14 Note that the volume of coverage by product type adds up to more than the total covered lives reflecting that many products are offered as riders and add-ons to a primary microinsurance product Thus many people are protected against more than one type of risk

15 Note that the 2005 study did NOT include South Africa which comprises a significant share of the total market Data from Roth et al 2007 The Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries Appleton MicroInsurance Centre

16 For 2008 data only lives covered by life and accident covers were reported together17 Agriculture covers include government-subsidized insurance programs which were excluded in the 2011 study

FIGURE 2KEY FIGURES

164

464

84

45

11

131

Credit Life

Life

Accident

Health

Property

Agriculture

The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

36countries in which MI

was identified

gt200providers reporting data

Microinsurance gross written premium reported

Identified lives insured by product type (millions)

2011USD 387 million

2014USD 756 million

Comparable growth 63

The 2011 microinsurance gross written premiums amount has been adjusted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 12: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

12

3 Business Case

PremiumsRelevance to total industry The to-tal identified microinsurance market amounted to almost USD 756 million in gross written premiums in 2014 This represents 11 of the total insurance industry in Africa (Figure 3) up from 08 as identified in the 2011 study and almost double that found in Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean (LAC) South Af-rica continues to dominate the market accounting for 80 of premiums similar to the proportion identified in the 2011 study and slightly more than the 72 of premiums it accounts for in the tradition-al insurance market Some other African countries are starting to see microinsur-ance premiums compose a more signifi-cant share of the total insurance market for example microinsurance premiums account for 14 of the total market in Burkina Faso 75 in Swaziland more

than 6 in Ethiopia Tanzania and Togo and 54 in Zambia (Map 2)

Premiums were collected primarily on life products (58) with another third for bundled or composite products offer-ing more than one type of coverage (Fig-ure 4) As seen in LAC less than 5 of premiums were for stand-alone property or health coverages as these more com-plex covers are largely offered as part of a bundle

Microinsurance premium growth Pre-mium growth on an aggregate compara-tive basis18 was 63 for the three-year period 2011-2014 This seems to be quite an impressive growth though not direct-ly comparable with Swiss Rersquos traditional industry growth estimate of 16 for the last year19 The microinsurance premi-um growth was driven by South Africa at 66 (Figure 5)

A number of countries with lower pre-mium volumes experienced much higher growth rates such as Tanzania (426) Namibia (701) and Zambia (2075) Conversely several countries actually experienced a decline in premiums such as Zimbabwe (-87) and Uganda (-74) More information regarding premiums

FIGURE 3 AFRICA GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MICROINSURANCE

USD 756 million

Microinsurance gross written

premiums identified for 2014

USD 690 BillionTotal insurance gross written

premiums11

18 Comparable growth rates were calculated using adjustments for exchange rate fluctuations from 2011 to 2014 and are based on data only from those companies that reported data in both periods plus new market entrants

19 Estimate provided for context but comparability is unclear as the Swiss Re estimate is for a one-year period (versus this studyrsquos three-year period) and it is not certain how whether exchange rate fluctuations are considered (this study converted 2011 data to 2014 USD) Source Swiss Re Sigma World Insurance in 2014 Back to Life 2015 p 34

FIGURE 5 COMPARABLE GROWTH IN GWP 2011-2014

66South Africa

63 Microinsurance overall

16Traditional insurance(2013-2014)

51 wout South Africa

FIGURE 4 MICROINSURANCE GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUM BY PRODUCT TYPE

2

1

58

7

lt1

30Bundled

2

Bundled products include all products that provide more than one type of coverage All other product types represent premiums for products only offering a single type of coverage

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 13: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

13

3 BUSINESS CASE

MAP 2MICROINSURANCE GWP AS OF TOTAL INDUSTRY GWP

SWAZILAND75

LESOTHO0

MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS0MOZAMBIQUE

05ZIMBABWE

07

ZAMBIA54

MALAWI13

TANZANIA64

BURUNDI

CONGO35

GABON0

EQUATORIALGUINEA

0

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE

0

SUDANlt01

SOUTH SUDAN0

CENT AFRICAN REP

0

EGYPTlt01

TUNISIA

NIGERCHAD

0

NIGERIA05

BENIN48

GHANA11

TOGO63BURKINA FASO

14

MALI47

SENEGAL19

GAMBIA0

CAPE VERDE0

GUINEA

GUINEA-BISSAU0

COTE DrsquoIVOIRE

25

LIBERIA0

CAMEROON07

DEM REP OF THE CONGO

KENYA15

COMOROS

SEYCHELLES0

RWANDAlt01

UGANDA01

ETHIOPIA61

ERITREA0

DJIBOUTI0

SOMALIA0

BOTSWANA02

SOUTH AFRICA12

NAMIBIA15

SIERRA LEONE

MAURITANIA

ALGERIAlt01 LIBYA

0

ANGOLA0

gt10

5-10

35 - lt5

01 - lt35

gt0 - lt01

0

No data

of Microinsurance GWPTotal GWP

MOROCCO01

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

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Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 14: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

14

at the country level can be found in Ap-pendix C1

To some extent the solid overall growth in microinsurance premiums in the re-gion reflects an increase in outreach or more people buying insurance The re-lated growth in number of insured was 3520 In the case of South Africa in-crease in insured was just 4 indicating that perhaps the increase in premium is due to rising average price levels For example one insurer dropped an em-bedded insurance product which had previously covered more than a million people but was inexpensive and didnrsquot bring in very much premium

Outside of South Africa we find 51 growth in premium combined with 69 increase in lives covered ndash an indication that more people are being covered with lower-priced products Indeed as basic product types are dominating the mar-ket very low premiums (averaging about USD 165 per life per year or USD 13 per month) were perhaps unsurprisingly found rather consistently across the re-gion Take away South Africa and the av-erage annual premium was just USD 63 (Figure 6 Average annual premium paid per life by product type (USD)) This low premium is due to a subset of products that offer very low premiums for limited coverage For example 20 insurers pro-vided data for mobile network distrib-uted programmes these programmes accounted for 13 of the identified lives covered in the region but just 1 of the total written premiums In many cases the average premium paid per person per year was less than USD 1

By product type agriculture and proper-ty covers had the highest average premi-ums per life whilst life and accident cov-ers came in next around USD 193 But here again we see the pull of the larger and relatively wealthier South African market ndash when excluded the average premiums for life and personal accident products drop to USD 37 and USD 17 re-

spectively Health premiums seem low at just USD 62 but when this is broken up into comprehensive health covers ndash pri-marily offered by community-based mu-tuals in West Africa ndash and other smaller lsquoslicesrsquo of coverages such as critical ill-ness or hospital cash covers we see a clear difference with comprehensive products being almost 3 times as ex-pensive (Figure 7 Avg annual premium paid per life health covers (USD)) At the country level average annual premiums ranged from USD 1 to USD 44 represent-ing between 005 and 58 of GDP per capita within those different countries

Compared to premiums paid in 2011 the premiums in 2014 were higher across all product categories except health (Figure 8) Personal accident premiums overall are higher because insurers in South Africa ndash a relatively expensive market ndash have begun to offer this coverage With-out South Africa the increase from USD 06 to 17 is more moderate Property and agriculture products also showed signifi-cantly higher premiums paid per life in 2014 which might reflect pricing adjust-ments to cover the higher administrative

costs of these products The premiums for 2014 also include premium subsidies which were not accounted for in 2011 these account for almost 20 of premi-ums for agriculture products

Although low premiums must cover claims administrative and distribution costs most insurers in this market are finding this a profitable business as the following sections will show

20 That is the growth includes only those products for which data on premium and lives covered is available for both time periods

FIGURE 6 AVERAGE ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE BY PRODUCT TYPE (USD)

302307

Overall

All products

Wout South Africa

37193

181

179

16563

108108

6262

462

17

FIGURE 7 AVG ANNUAL PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE HEALTH COVERS (USD)

38

107

Sliced Comprehensive

ldquoSlicedrdquo health coverage refers to any non-comprehensive health products that cover just specified pieces of health risks such as critical illness or hospital cash products

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 15: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

15

3 BUSINESS CASE

21 Claims data was reported for 80 of products representing just over 90 of the identified premiums and 23 of lives covered Ratios were calculated as claims paid over gross written premiums Aggregate claims ratio was calculated for all products reporting both claims and premium data as total reported claims paid total reported gross written premiums See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

22 Data for LAC from the 2014 landscape study conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre Data for Asia sourced directly from Mukherjee et al 2014 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 Jointly published by the Munich Re Foundation GIZ-FRPI and the Microinsurance Network

FIGURE 9 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY REGION

32

79

26

ClaimsClaims ratios throughout the region and across product lines are relatively low with a median of 25 (32 aggregate)21 Compared with an aggregate claims ra-tio in 2011 of 44 this shows a down-ward trend in claims making Africa more closely resemble LAC than Asia in terms of claim experience (Figure 9)

Naturally the overall claims ratios are driven by the life products which are more prevalent Other than agriculture

products which can vary dramatically from year to year and for which several index products had large pay-outs in 2014 every type of product experienced lower claims in 2014 than in 2011 (See Figure 10 Aggregate claims ratios by primary product type)22

Figure 11 contains a more detailed breakdown of the dispersion and aver-age claims ratios by product type in Afri-ca Once again we see a division in health products as a further breakdown of cov-erage shows that comprehensive health

covers at 62 had an aggregate claims ratio almost double that of sliced health covers (eg critical illness hospitalisa-tion) at just 33

In 2014 two out of every three products report claims ratios lower than 40 Almost one-third of products were re-ported as having a claims ratio of 10 or less These statistics are very similar to what was experienced in LAC in 2013 Such low ratios may prove counterpro-ductive in terms of building an insurance market and are ultimately a problem for clients and providers alike Payment of claims when they are legitimately due are key to expanding the market Indeed several insurers expressed concern at the low experience of claims primarily for newer products on the market and one respondent even indicated that the lack of claims was worrisome and be-lieved to be the cause of lack of success in product sales Box 1 provides some hypotheses for why claims experience is low based on some clues in the land-scape data

FIGURE 8 AVG PREMIUM PAID PER LIFE 2011-2014 (USD)

2011

2014

113

193

06

181

66 62 53

179

128

307

FIGURE 10 AGGREGATE CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Africa (2011)

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

Asia (2012)

23

44

90

40

121

103

Overall

2236

NA

24

33 20

16

1579 69 81

25

91

59NA

4432

26

7953

24

52

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

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Page 16: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

16

The following possible explanations stem from the qualitative and quantita-tive data reported to the study Due to the nature of the data this discussion does not claim statistical significance or con-crete evidence but rather is meant to be a discussion of potential challenges with attaining desired claims ratios and pro-viding value to clients

Incorrectly priced The low claims might be a factor of over pricing or not provid-ing sufficient benefits The low-income market is disproportionately vulnerable to risk as compared to the traditional market (eg correlation between poverty and health issues living and working in riskier environments that make homes and business more vulnerable etc) and thus microinsurance demands a higher risk premium per unit of coverage when pricing However due to a lack of avail-able data on the target market and still relatively limited claims experience data insurers may over compensate

FIGURE 11 CLAIMS RATIOS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

23 268 0

75

11

48

31 2522

32

6462

20

33

91

= MedianAggregate

2432

Quartile 3 Quartile 2

Credit Life(35 prod)

Term LifeFuneral

(57 prod)

Savingendowment(20 prod)

PA(13 prod)

ComprehensiveHealth

(39 prod)

ldquoSlicedrdquohealth

(14 prod)

Agriculture(25 prod)

Property(11 prod)

All products(214 prod)

BOX 1WHY ARE CLAIMS RATIOS SO LOW

their loading when pricing When asked to rank the top three interventions that would have the greatest impact on the development of microinsurance in their country just over 20 of insurers re-sponding to the study selected ldquoactuarial tables covering the low-income marketrdquo as one of the top three

Legitimate claims are not being made In addition to less than optimal pricing the data can also provide insights into reasons why claims are not being sub-mitted even if due For comparison pur-poses ldquolowrdquo claims ratios are defined as those less than 20 We then looked at characteristics of products with ldquolowrdquo claims compared with all the rest and identified a few potentially key differ-ences (see graphs below)

- It might just be a matter of time The African region reported almost 100 new products launched in the last two years and there simply has not

been enough time to gain traction and experience the target claims 38 of products with claims ratios below 20 were launched in either 2013 or 2014 whilst just 18 of products with higher claims ratios were recently launched This might indicate a lack of confidence in existing experience data and thus a heavy loading of pre-mium or it might indeed reflect a lack of awareness primarily by benefi-ciaries Particularly for life products whilst the insured may know of the

Products with LOW claims ratios(lt20) compared to all others

38 of products with low claims were launched in last 2 years compared to 18 of products with higher claims

are NEWER

NEW

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 17: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

17

3 BUSINESS CASE

Administrative expenses

One of the most important components of financial success in microinsurance is the ability to minimise administrative costs Business profitability and value for clients is predicated on low administra-tive costs In the region administrative costs (excluding commissions) across all product lines accounted for about 25 of premiums in the aggregate (22 median)23 There is a wide range across

product lines (Figure 12 Administrative expense ratios by product type) with ag-riculture products expenses having the highest proportion of expenses in the aggregate This is driven however by a few larger programmes some of which are supported by significant government subsidy The high aggregate administra-tive cost in personal accident products is driven by one larger programme but the majority of products are more ef-ficient as evidenced by the median of 16 Health products in general have significantly lower administrative ratios

than their counterparts in Latin Amer-ica Life products which dominate the market should be easier to administer but the region still saw 22 of premiums go toward administrative expenses (24 median across life products) Credit life products which should be even sim-pler to administer have higher average costs this is likely due to the fact that two-thirds of credit life products offer a secondary cover such as a term life personal accident and even health thus increasing the required inputs and ef-forts

23 Administrative cost data was reported for almost 150 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million (32 of total premiums identified) Ratios were calculated as administrative expenses (excluding commissions) over gross written premiums Aggregate is calculated for all products reported both admin expense and premiums as total reported admin expenses total reported premium See Appendix B for more information regarding the methodology

coverage it is really the beneficiary who needs to be aware of and edu-cated on how to file a claim

- Benefit amount It might be that the value of the claim pay-out is less than the hassle of getting it even for low-income people The average claim pay-out for life products with claim ratios less than 20 was just USD 540 compared to USD 1100 for prod-ucts with claim ratios greater than 20

- Lack of understanding Lack of awareness and understanding has long been pointed to as a reason for both low sales and low claims The average rejection ratio for products with less than 20 claims was an ex-tremely high 21 compared with just 6 for products with higher claims ratios The number one reason given for why claims were rejected was that the claim was made during the waiting period This points to a clear lack of understanding of the product

- Complex claims processes Whilst mobile phone technology has been hailed as a potential cost-saving tech-nology if not implemented correctly it may also have the opposite effect of putting up barriers for some One respondent notes that a first line of claims response was an automated phone system that screened eligibil-ity customers had a hard time getting past this and to date almost no claims had been filed Of the products that had a claims ratio of less than 20 over a third use mobile phones in the claims process versus just a quarter for those with higher claims ratios

Insurance understanding and awareness are already considered a major chal-lenge for insurers as will be discussed later in this paper Paying claims where due can be a powerful market builder and educator Conversely exceptionally low claims ratios whether due to lack of communication and understanding complex processes or poor product de-sign can be counterproductive

have lower claim PAYOUTS

Average claim payout (USD)

Products with low claims

All other products

540 1097

on the part of clients and ultimately failure on the part of the provider to inform clients of the product features The number two and three reasons for claim rejection also point to lack of informing exclusions outside scope of coverage Fraud and lack of proper documentation tied for the fourth most frequently cited reason for claim rejection with the latter re-lating again to providers failing to ad-equately inform their clients Rather than lack of understanding failure to inform this could also be viewed as a need for simpler product design

Top reasons for rejected claims (number of times mentioned)

Waiting period

Premiums not paiddid not renewExclusionsnot coveredLack of proper documentation

Fraud

18

11

10

7

7

are more likely to use

MOBILE in the claims process

35 of products with low claims use mobile vs 26 for all

others

REJECT claims at higer

rate

21 rejection ratio for products

with low claims vs 6 for all others

REJECTED

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

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Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

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Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 18: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

18

A number of insurers reported little to no administrative expense with the justifi-cation that the distribution channel has taken on the vast majority of the admin-istration Thus higher commissions will be justified in some cases as shown in the next section Fewer than half of the respondents to the study were able to provide clear information on their micro-insurance operating costs and most of them only after conducting ad hoc cost-ing exercises for the purposes of this study Two-thirds of insurers said they measure the performance of their mi-croinsurance operations with key per-formance indicators yet just under 25 of insurers reported that they account separately for microinsurance expens-es The proportions of insurers meas-uring financial performance and ac-counting separately for microinsurance expenses are only slightly higher than the proportions observed in 2011 With-out understanding the cost structure of microinsurance offerings it is impossible to clearly understand the profitability of the product A ldquolowrdquo claims ratio does not necessarily translate into profits Administrative expenses are important components to the profitability equation Without understanding these costs ndash di-rect and indirect - insurers are operating blindly

Technology is increasingly necessary for cost-effective transactions in mi-croinsurance at both the front end and the back end The region continues to increase its use of mobile phones to re-duce costs whilst improving customer contact Compared with 2011 there have been significant increases in the propor-tion of insurers using mobile phones in all areas surveyed but the largest in-creases were in the areas of customer service and marketing education (Fig-ure 13) In terms of payments use of technology is increasing particularly for premium collection and less so for claims payment More than a third of insurers are now using mobile phones for premium collection (up from 24 in 2011) almost 20 use a POS device and another 11 use smart cards or mag-netic stripe cards Not as many insurers are using mobile yet for claims payment but the 30 is a significant increase over the 13 doing so in 2011 For both pre-

FIGURE 12 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 13 USE OF MOBILE PHONES IN INSURANCE PROCESSES

FIGURE 14 USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN PREMIUM AND CLAIMS PAYMENTS

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

Overall

2731

13

2422

21 2224

42

33

45

19 1923

77

2525

16

64

31

24 44

37

38

30

24

24

13

32 66

13 26

11

4

10

6

19

7

Marketing education

Application enrollment

Premium collection

Claims payment

Customer service

Policy management LAC - 2013

Africa - 2011

Africa - 2014

Claims payment Premium collection

2011

Mobile phones

POS device

SmartMagnetic stripe cards

Specialised software

Paper forms

2014

20112014

24 38

6 18

2 11

24 24

55 51

13 30

2

0

7

6

21 21

59 72

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

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Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 19: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

19

3 BUSINESS CASE

24 Commission data was reported for 179 products accounting for a premium base of 535 million or 70 of reported written premiums and more than 50 of iden-tified lives covered Aggregate commissions are calculated for all products which reported both commission and premium data as total reported commissions total reported gross written premium

mium and claims payments more than half of insurers are still using paper or manual processes (Figure 14)

CommissionsIn terms of costs of distribution there was little evidence of the excessive fees seen in Latin America Median commis-sions across channels were just 10 with an aggregate of 17 though in a few cases commissions of 30 or higher were reported (Figure 15)24 The highest commissions were found in commercial banks as well as in some of the mass market channels such as MNOs and re-tailers (See Figure 16) Member organisa-tions unsurprisingly have very low com-missions (usually more of a service fee) and the low median reflects a number of mutual health organisations which have no commission or distribution fees

On a product level life products have higher commissions (Figure 17) which might be a function of the channels they are distributed through ndash largely banks mass channels and brokers

When compared against administra-tion costs we again look for a trade-off Higher commissions should imply that the distribution channel is working for the money and taking on much of the administration thus reducing the cost to the insurer Several insurers indeed not-ed that their administrative costs were quite low because the partner had taken on more of the responsibility To some extent we can see this in the data Few

products lie outside of 40 total admin + commission (Figure 18) Those that do are primarily experiencing high ex-pense ratios because of low scale (fewer lives insured indicated by the smaller bubbles to the right of the chart) and thus proportionately higher administra-tion costs Only five products have both commissions and admin beyond 20 and these all have very small premium bases

FIGURE 17 COMMISSIONS BY PRIMARY PRODUCT TYPE

Overall

Africa - 2014 Median

Africa - 2014 Aggregate

LAC - 2013 Aggregate

109 9 9

18

21

0

10

27

10

14

17

NA

10 109

17

21

18

2

24

FIGURE 16 COMMISSIONS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

0

9

17

42

6

18

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs Agents Brokers Other Mass

10 8

25

14

Median

Aggregate

Africa 7

LAC 25

FIGURE 15 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMMISSIONS GREATER THAN 30

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

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Page 20: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

20

Combined ratios ndash is it profitable

Taken together do the key ratios of claims administrative expense and commissions indicate a business case for microinsur-ance Looking at the subset of products for which all three indicators were re-ported the data calculated for combined ratios showed clear profitability for many products25 The aggregate combined ra-tio was 86 (73 median) well above

FIGURE 18COMMISSIONS VS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

do higher commissions lead to lower admin expenses for insurers

Com

mis

sion

rat

io

Administrative cost ratio

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

100 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

LACrsquos 64 aggregate26 In addition the range of experiences in Africa is much larger than was found in LAC Almost one-third of products were reported as having combined ratios of more than 100 (compared with just a handful in LAC) and on the other end of the spec-trum more than half were below 75 (Figure 19) The one-third of products with non-profitable combined ratios were much smaller in scale compared to the overall outreach (averaging 42000 insured as compared to an average of

153000 insured overall) The over-100 combined ratio products seem to be driven by the administrative expenses which account for 66 of premiums in these products (compared to the 25 seen in the overall set of products)

By product type lsquosliced health cover-agersquo term life and funeral and credit life products experience the lowest combined ratios As shown in Figure 20 with relatively low claims ratios for these products and a comfortable mar-

25 All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were provided for 135 products (50) accounting for USD 238 in premium (32 of the total identified micro-insurance premiums) Combined ratios were calculated by summing the claims ratios expense ratios and commission rates for each product More information regarding methodology can been found in Appendix B

26 The data in this section is limited to the subset of products for which all the component KPIs were reported thus the individual indicators have different results than when examined individually with larger data sets For example many respondents chose only to report claims and thus when looked at individually the data set is larger

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

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Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 21: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

21

3 BUSINESS CASE

gin there is room for insurers to improve value for clients moving forward Health and property covers have demonstrated that they can be profitable as well Half of reported agriculture products had combined ratios under 100 in 2014 those that were beyond 100 included a handful of index-based products that experienced large pay-outs in 2014 along with a few newer and smaller pro-grammes that had high costs of set up and administration resulting in higher administrative expense ratios

In terms of improving value for clients can we expect microinsurance claims ratios much higher than 60 The data in Figure 20 would tell us no at least not with admin expenses and commissions as they currently stand With few excep-tions 60 claims ratios would push combined ratios to at or above 100 regardless of product type leaving little for insurers who will likely seek a higher margin for serving a higher risk market

Clearly the industry is seeing and tak-ing up the evidence that there is room for profits in microinsurance As shown in Figure 21 with the exception of agri-culture the majority of insurers believe there is high or at least moderate ability to offer all types of microinsurance prof-itably The perceived profit potential is of course strongest for life and accident which is supported by the actual expe-rience as reported to the study (Figure 22) Interestingly in terms of perception there is little to no difference between those insurers who are actually offer-ing microinsurance (the blue bars in the figure) and those insurers who are not offering microinsurance (orange bars) with those not in the market actually being slightly more optimistic This in-dicates that profitability ndash or at least the perception of it ndash is not the key issue that is keeping insurers from venturing into microinsurance

FIGURE 19 RANGE DISTRIBUTION OF COMBINED RATIOS IN AFRICA AND LAC

FIGURE 20 COMBINED RATIOS BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 21 INSURERSrsquo PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF MICROINSURANCE

Proportion of products with combined ratios reported in the given ranges

47 40

13 7

15 8

13 4

3 10

9 31

0-60

61-70

71-80

81-90

91-100

gt100

Africa (2014)

LAC (2013)

0 Funeral term life

Savings Life

Endowment

Credit life

PA Health - slice

Health - Comprehensive

Property Agriculture

50

100

150

200

250 Commission

(Total claims + total admin expense + total commission) total GWP

Admin

Claims

Combined ratio

45

22

17

84

64

19 4 87

28

31

8

68

14

64

15 93

9 14 23

46

62

25 4 91

19

45

6 70

99

93

11 202

of providers indicating high or marginal ability to offer MI profitably

80 82

74 71

59 58

65 71

50 44

MI providers

Non-MI providers

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 22: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

22

FIGURE 22 PROPORTION OF PRODUCTS WITH COMBINED RATIOS lt100 BY PRODUCT TYPE

FIGURE 23 MOBILE DISTRIBUTION

80

15

77

56

88

8

58

33

60

5

50

18

with combined ratio lt100 Total products with combined ratio data

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Lives Claims MNOs non-MNOsPremium

Allocation of premiumMarket significance MNOs as a proportion of total MI market

Total market

MNO

Net margin

Commission Expenses

Claims 13 1 04 23 22 29 27

46 24 16 15

Data reflects the subset of products for which all 4 data points ndash premium claims admin and commissions were reported One outlier was excluded from the MNO-distributed group as a very high expense ratio with a relatively high premium base was distorting the overall picture

Spotlight on MNOs

MNOs have made headlines in recent years warranting a closer look

Outreach It is clear that products dis-tributed via MNOs have managed to reach scale and gain high volumes of clients Mobile products accounted for 13 of the total identified lives covered in the region Within these automatic or embedded coverages were clearly the best at scaling up covering over 1 mil-lion lives on average versus voluntary opt-in programmes which averaged just over 140000 clients each

Business case Whether automatic or voluntary MNO distributed products are inexpensive averaging just USD 065 in annual premium per person compared with almost USD 20 for non-MNO prod-ucts As such they only account for 1 of the total microinsurance premiums re-ported to the study Whilst the products may be inexpensive for clients they are proportionately more expensive for in-surers who face a combined admin and commission cost of over 50 (vs 40 for non-MNO distributed products) with a higher proportion going towards com-mission With higher costs this leaves

less for claims By almost every meas-ure claims are much lower for MNO products than for others The median claim ratio for mobile products was just 3 with a 21 average and 23 aggre-gate (total claims over total premiums) For now it would seem insurers are left with a comfortable margin

Perceptions Aside from the quantitative data reported qualitative questions were also asked of insurers regarding their current status and future intentions for partnering with MNOs Whilst one third currently have some sort of partnership and another third have concrete plans to do so the remainder have either no in-tention to partner or some interest but no plans Indeed the cost of using this channel was a key concern for providers who are not yet doing so and respond-ents cited high cost of investment and expensive revenue sharing models as issues when partnering with MNOs A second major concern is in the appro-priateness of this channel for the target low-income market in terms of accept-ability and availability of the technology among the target population as well as literacy levels The final key concern was technology know-how and integration capability

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

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The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 23: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

23

4 DISTRIBUTION

Mass market channels such as MNOs retailers and funeral parlours account-ed for 44 of the distribution of micro-insurance products in the region (Figure 24) reaching over 25 million people whilst agents and brokers accounted for another quarter of outreach

These channels also brought in more premium than any other channel type with the exception of brokers ndash very simi-lar to what was found in LAC in 2013 With 57 products reported as being distributed through mass channels they also seem to be ndash as intended ndash the most effective and efficient at reaching higher volumes of clients reaching on average almost 320000 insured per product (Figure 25)

The most premiums both in terms of total volume and per-client revenue are coming from the agent broker chan-nel which is the most commonly used distribution channel with 108 products reported as being sold by agents or bro-kers Products distributed via member organisations have the smallest out-reach at an average of less than 19000 people and bring in a low volume of pre-

4 Distribution

mium overall at about USD 125 million However as seen in Figure 26 they have an important role in distributing more complex health and agriculture covers reaching more than one-third of the cli-ents covered by health microinsurance

and more than 20 of those covered by agriculture microinsurance It should also be noted that many of the member organisations particularly the commu-nity-based health mutuals serve as both distribution channel and underwriter

FIGURE 24 LIVES COVERED BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

MFIs14 Other

Financial Institutions12

Member organi-sations3

Agents Brokers27

Other Mass 44

FIGURE 25 LIVES COVERED PRODUCTS AND PREMIUMS BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

FIGURE 26 PRODUCT TYPES BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL (PROPORTION OF LIVES INSURED)

187

121

15

59

63

3629

2014

125

1157

422

107

57

80

32

55

Other Mass

Agents Brokers

Member orgs

Other FIs

MFIs

Lives covered (million)

Total number of products distribued via channel

Gross written premium (USD)

MFIs

Other FIs

Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Data subset consists of 219 products for which premiums lives covered and distribution channel information were provided together they account for 97 of identified premiums

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 24: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

24

Certain channels are more suited for certain product types as we see in Fig-ure 26 60 of agriculture products are sold through financial institutions of some kind as they are often attached to loan products Almost 50 of people covered by life products are reached via mass market channels and health products are largely sold via member or-ganisations (comprehensive covers) and now mass channels as well (lsquoslicedrsquo cov-ers such as critical illness and hospital cash)

Looking at revenues and expenses per life the products sold through agents brokers are the costliest to clients av-eraging USD 253 per life insured (Figure 27) However more than half of this is paid back in claims ndash a higher proportion than any other channel - suggesting that clients are still getting value despite the higher price The expenses in this chan-nel (USD 39 commission and 63 admin-istrative expense) are higher but likely warranted products sold through this channel are almost entirely voluntary and thus require more sales effort and consequently expenses Also it might be that the agents brokers are help-ing clients through the claims process ensuring claims are paid when due Dis-tribution through mass channels does seem to have succeeded in reducing the unit costs of distributing and adminis-tering products with average per person costs at USD 12 and 11 respectively As clients become more familiar with buying receiving insurance products through these more passive channels the proportion of claims should also im-prove The expenses for both MFIs and other financial institutions are the low-est across channels Expenses might be lower due to the observation that 75 of products sold through these channels are either mandatory or automatic em-bedded

FIGURE 27 REVENUE AND EXPENSES BY CHANNEL

00

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

MFIs Other FIs Member orgs

Ratios by channel

AgentsBrokers

OtherMass

Total

50

100

150

200

250

01020

504030

7060

9080

100

020711

13

7

22

32

38

26

24

29

21

46

39

6

16

25

51

8

18

17

31

3316

24

45

16

070608

06 0523

20

03121120

21

19

28

53

18

39

63

129

21

33 xx2751

64

118

253

Rat

io

Aggregate net margin Aggregate commission ratio Aggregate admin expense ratio Aggregate claims ratio

Avg net margin per insured (USD)

Avg commission per insured (USD)

Avg admin expense per insured (USD)

Avg claim paid per insured (USD)

Avg premium

10

Data subset consists of 132 products for which premium claims expenses and distribution channel information were provided together they account for just under 13 of the total premiums and lives identified by the study

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 25: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

25

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

5 Market growth and evolution

FIGURE 28 NEW PRODUCTS (LAUNCHED SINCE 2011)

FIGURE 29 NEW PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

The study identified a total of 618 mil-lion people covered by one or more types of microinsurance product representing almost 30 growth in lives insured com-pared to 2011 This represents a steady but not remarkable growth in terms of outreach especially compared to the growth rates experienced over the 2008-2011 time period as identified in the previous regional study which estimated that coverage grew more than 20027 Premium volumes grew twice as much at 63 In addition to this modest but steady growth of insured and premiums the market showed considerable dynamism in terms of new insurers and products entering the market At least 37 com-

2014 and largely provided coverage for life (eight million lives insured including secondary covers) and health (six million including secondary covers) (Figure 28) The new wave of products tends to be broader with 45 being bundled prod-ucts that offer more than one type of cov-erage compared with fewer than 30 of products launched prior to 2011 Prod-uct-wise almost 40 of programmes launched since 2011 contained a health coverage of some kind (compared to 30 up until 2011) and another 22 contained some form of protection for property (compared to 11 of products in 2011) Relatively few new credit life products were launched and of these

27 McCord et al March 2013 The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012 Munich Re Foundation and Making Finance Work for Africa

panies began offering microinsurance products that had not done so as of 2011 and almost 100 new products were in-troduced both by seasoned microin-surance providers and those new to the market On the other hand 46 products were taken off the market and eight in-surers decided to no longer offer micro-insurance at all This section examines this flux and evolution of products and providers throughout the region

New productsAlmost 100 products reported to the study were launched since 2011 These products reached 101 million people in

11

15

80

50 60

04 02

52

32

37

13 12

Lives coveres (millions primary and secondary covers)

Number of products containing coverage type whether as primary or secondary cover

5100Median number of lives insured of products

offering some form of health coverage

of products offering some form of property coverage

More bundled products (more than one type of coverage) 45 in 2014 vs 30 in 2011

Since 2011 2011 and prior

Since 2011

Ghana10 products

Kenya13 products

Zambia9 products

2011 and prior

7 Products rapidly scaled reaching 400000 or more people by the end of 2014 Five of these were distributed via MNOs and two via MFIs

SCALE PRODUCT TYPE

COUNTRY

BUNDLING

40 29

22 11

Nigeria 13 products

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 26: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

26

only one did not contain a secondary cov-erage type

The average outreach for products launched since 2011 is just over 100000 lives However this is highly skewed by a few programmes that really managed to scale up Just over 10 of products launched since 2011 managed to reach a scale of more than 100000 covered lives and a handful reached half a mil-lion or more Most of the new products were launched in the dynamic markets of Ghana Kenya Zambia and Nigeria Figure 29 contains a summary of the new products launched

Discontinued productsWhilst many new products were launched over the last three years there were also a number that were discontinued At least 46 products that were offered in 2011 were no longer on the market in 2014 These products were offered by 27 dif-ferent insurers and accounted for over 4 million lives covered in 2011 The major-ity of these products were small in scale (70 reached fewer than 10000 people) and were simple life covers (Figure 30)

Three large life insurance programmes accounted for almost 80 of the lives covered by these products in 2011

Of the 27 insurers eight have decided to leave the market entirely four of which indicated that they would focus on the mass market28 but would no longer de-sign products specifically for the low-in-

come market The remaining 19 insurers however are still in the market and have introduced new although not necessarily comparable products Thus it is possible that clients who previously were covered by these products now have other poten-tially better coverage However these products that were replaced only ac-counted for a small number of lives cov-ered in 2011 (Figure 31) The three large scale programmes were discontinued altogether potentially leaving millions of previously insured clients without cover-age Of these programmes two insurers cited changes in distribution agreements as the reason for discontinuation of the coverage whilst the third was due to a change in regulation In general common reasons for discontinuation included reg-ulatory changes lack of technical know-how and lack of affordability for clients

Growth of ongoing productsOf the subset of products that were re-ported to both studies 70 grew their client base since 2011 whilst 30 actu-ally experienced declines in outreach The overall growth in outreach of these products was about 15 reaching a to-tal of 67 million more people than they did in 2011 Reasons for declines include changes in the membership base of the distribution channel (such as a mutual or MFI) and an emphasis on other products Two large programmes that had previ-ously reached several million people with insurance coverage experienced sig-nificant declines because of a change in distribution policy One product had pre-viously been embedded in certain bank accounts the cover was removed from these accounts due to a change in policy

FIGURE 30 DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

03 02 03 0100

40Lives covered millions (including secondary covers)

Products offering type of coverage primary and secondary

7

21

9

12

6

1

FIGURE 31 STATUS OF DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS FROM 2011

13Replaced or merged with other products547341

84Discontinued all together3454618

3Shifted to a mass market focus129769

28 For the purposes of this study the key difference between mass market and microinsurance products is the intended target market If the product was intended to be available to anyone including low-income people but not specifically designed for low-income people (criteria number one in the studyrsquos definition of microinsurance) then it was considered mass market

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 27: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

27

5 MARKET GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Overall evolution of product typesWhilst life covers still dominate the mar-ket the region has experienced some evolution of product types Health prop-erty and agriculture covers experienced proportionately much higher growth (Fig-ure 32) The explosion in health covers is primarily due to four new programmes offering hospital cash or hospitalisation covers via MNOs each reaching a quar-ter of a million clients or more as well as a handful of credit life programmes offering secondary hospitalisation covers to MFI clients each reaching more than 100000 people

Overall the products offered in 2014 av-eraged 145 covers per product com-

pared with only 115 covers per product in 2011 This shows that insurers are thinking beyond simple life and credit life products and indeed using bundling as a way to deepen coverage Figure 33 shows the breakdown by product type of primary and secondary (bundled) cov-ers and we see that personal accident health and property covers are primar-ily offered as a secondary cover that is bundled with another primary product

In 2014 58 of products were reported as being voluntary covers compared to just 36 in 2011 The move from manda-tory andor automatic products to more voluntary products can be seen as an in-dication that the market is maturing

FIGURE 32 GROWTH BY TYPE OF PRODUCT (millions of lives covered)

FIGURE 33 PRIMARY VS SECONDARY COVERS

86 162

332416

12121

1381

0832

522

487

25

88

0105

2011

2014

Primary only

Secondary

125 38

32 99

34 49

10 35

10 01

408 56

Countryshylevel developmentAt the country level several countries ex-perienced significant evolution in terms of coverage ratio as well as in the num-ber of providers and types of products offered It appears that the markets that had competition in terms of multiple providers and that were more diversified with multiple types of products on offer in 2011 were the ones that really expanded outreach by 2014 As shown in Figure 34 markets such as Ghana Kenya and South Africa which had multiple provid-ers offering multiple product coverages in 2011 expanded their market even further and increased their outreach in 2014

In contrast Namibia Tanzania and Zim-babwe all saw declines in outreach In all three cases the decrease can be attrib-uted to a large-scale programme that had an issue with a key distribution part-ner The overall landscapes of microin-surance in these countries were affected greatly as they were dominated by just a few products and providers so there was nothing else to fill in the gap and continue the development of these mar-kets It is recognised that this is a limited analysis to provide some market context and that not all indicators and relevant market factors are included For exam-ple in the case of Tanzania whilst cover-age ratio has declined over the last three years gross written premiums actually increased Even with a high outreach the low-premium product was discontin-ued and other presumably higher value products were introduced over the time period indicating product evolution from another perspective

If it follows the trajectory of Ghana Kenya and South Africa Nigeria may well be poised to dramatically expand its outreach in the next few years Whilst it had little change in terms of coverage between 2011 and 2014 it saw dramatic growth in terms of the numbers of pro-viders entering the market and offering a variety of products This new competition and product diversity together with oth-er market factors such as improved reg-ulations and client awareness should lead to eventual growth in outreach

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 28: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

28

FIGURE 34 COUNTRY-LEVEL EVOLUTION ndash PRODUCTS PROVIDERS AND COVERAGE RATIOS

(Bubble size reflects coverage ratio)

Increased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Decreased coverage ratio 2011-2014

Moderate growth in coverage ratio 2011-2014

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 29: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

29

6 THE WAY FORWARD

6 The Way Forward

This study of microinsurance in Africa as of 2014 has shown many positive developments There has been steady growth in terms of outreach and pre-miums More insurers are entering the market and there is a continued evolu-tion of product types For the first time in Africa there is some clear evidence of microinsurance profitability Whilst certainly not all microinsurance prod-ucts had positive margins in 2014 the majority of them did Claims ratios across the region were lower than they were three years ago and perhaps even too low as insurers likely still grapple with finding the appropriate balance between product pricing and design on the one hand and easy and understood claims processes for clients on the other hand Administrative expenses (exclud-ing commissions) hover around 25 of premiums but insurers are increasing their use of various technologies in an attempt to reduce these Mass market

channels agents and brokers account for the majority of the distribution but these channels can be expensive So where will the market go from here

Will the region follow a trajectory similar to Latin America In the LAC regional landscape study report we postulated ldquoOver the next few years [the] trend to mass markets will certainly continue and expand beyond the core group of mass market countrieshellipIndeed the oth-er global regions are poised to make the same shift following the lead of LACrdquo29 To some extent we see some evidence of this shift beginning in Africa We see more distribution through mass marketndashoriented channels lower claims ratios particularly for newer products and a number of products with high volume and very low premiums

However in terms of intentions for fu-ture products Africa is still more mi-

cro-focused than LAC The study asked insurers ndash both those currently offering microinsurance and those not offering it ndash several qualitative questions about their perceptions on microinsurance in-cluding their future plans A higher per-centage of those insurers not currently offering microinsurance indicated plans to develop specific microinsur-ance products in the future (43) rather than mass market products (33) (Fig-ure 35) In contrast 45 of respondents in LAC planned to offer mass products vs just 33 for microinsurance This is likely a reflection of the composition of the markets with LAC having a larger middle class

So what are the next steps in this market How do we continue to bring providers into this market and develop microinsurance products that both provide value for low-income clients AND reasonable profitabil-ity for insurers and distribution channels

FIGURE 36 TOP 5 REASONS SOME INSURERS ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

FIGURE 37 TOP INTERVENTIONS NEEDED TO FURTHER DEVELOP MICROINSURANCE

Insufficient market information to help in the design of products

Market education and financial literacy efforts for consumers

Just havenrsquot gotten to it yet

Market demand studies to help insurers better understand clients needs

Lack technical expertise capacity More and better

distribution channels

Simply not our target market

More favorable regulations

Lack of distribution channels

Information technology systems specific for microinsurance

FIGURE 35 INTENTIONS OF INSURERS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY SERVING THE LOW-INCOME MARKET

43Plan to offer MI

18No plans

5No answer

34Plan to offer Mass

1 1

1 2

3 3

4 4

5 5i

29 McCord Michael J and Katie Biese 2015 The Landscape of Microinsurance Latin America and the Caribbean A Changing Market Luxembourg Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation p 16

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 30: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

30

We asked insurers who are not currently serving the low-income market ldquoWhy notrdquo and in a tie for the number one re-ported reason with ldquoJust havenrsquot gotten to it yet was ldquoThere is insufficient mar-ket information to help in the design of productsrdquo (Figure 36) That is some insurers feel they canrsquot offer microinsur-ance which requires specific design for the low-income market because they donrsquot have appropriate information on needs and demands of that market We asked a similar question to those offer-ing microinsurance already and found that even those that are already tar-geting the low-income segment agree that more information regarding client needs is necessary to move forward microinsurance development As shown in Figure 37 the second-ranked inter-vention needed to further microinsur-ance was ldquoMarket demand studies to help insurers better understand clientsrsquo needs Unfortunately by far the top-ranked need for market development was ldquomarket education and financial literacy efforts for consumersrdquo ranked in the top three by more than 23 of re-spondents Whilst insurers recognise the need to understand clients many still point to the need for clients to know more about insurance as well In theory this should have been mitigated over time with all of the efforts and discus-sion around microinsurance There is a very small indication of an improvement from the providerrsquos perspective - over 65 of respondents said that the mar-ket has a low understanding of insur-ance compared to almost 80 in 2011 Where does the responsibility for this fall Many insurers are now using mobile for client communications to some extent taking on education and information ef-forts themselves The authors argued in LAC and will argue again for Africa that paying claims as promised is the most effective way to build (and educate) the market The act of receiving a claim pay-

ment has a positive impact on the ben-eficiary as well as their neighbors and friends From the traditional market we know that when claims are paid in an area insurance sales improve The chapter on claims showed that insurers are still facing a number of challenges in this area and thus specific areas for education efforts might be on claims and product-specific understanding Is there a role on the supporting level for govern-ments or other industry stakeholders

Another of the top interventions listed by insurers is the need for ldquomore and better distribution channelsrdquo Insur-ers are constantly seeking low-cost ac-cess to large groups of potential clients To some extent this is linked to the 4th ranked need of more favourable regula-tions Several anecdotes were reported in which regulations constrained the options for use of distribution chan-nels and in some cases even required previously thriving microinsurance pro-grammes to terminate

And the final intervention in the top five ranking was the need for ldquoIT systems specific for microinsurancerdquo Indeed as programmes scale rapidly and insur-ers seek ways to reduce administrative costs IT can certainly play a facilitating role30

In Africa microinsurance continues to grow and most insurers are enjoying profits from this business some even extensive profits Those that are not yet profitable generally are not because of programme age and scale This study has shown the importance of both these factors in terms of generating profits The product range is expanding as in-surers become more comfortable with the low-income market and that market begins to trust insurers Clearly mobile insurance products have had a huge impact on microinsurance expansion throughout the region but this is not

likely a driver of profits as they gener-ated only 1 of all MI premiums in the region (even whilst covering 13 of all microinsured) But MNOs are having an important impact beyond the premiums they generate Because of their volumes of clients and when providing excellent service they are helping to create in-surance cultures in the countries where they are active This helps all insurers

Evidence that microinsurance in Africa is starting to move in the direction of Latin America with mass products is also positive for Africa There are gen-erally abysmally low penetration rates on the continent and middle income people also need insurance It is heart-ening to see that insurers in Africa are still significantly focused on microinsur-ance in addition to the mass market As technology continues to improve these advances will continue to provide more efficient and hopefully less costly means of accessing the substantial rural popu-lation of Africa

The key elements for substantial mi-croinsurance expansion are present in Africa Insurers are increasingly enter-ing the market with better knowledge than before as lessons continue to build from the African experience in microin-surance The market continues to build trust and appreciation for microinsur-ance which helps to generate demand (MNOs would not be able to use MI as a loyalty driver if people were not develop-ing an appreciation for insurance for ex-ample) New varied and innovative dis-tribution systems are slowly emerging as a means to get MI products to the low income market In some countries even regulations are becoming more facilita-tive for microinsurance providers

The developments in microinsurance over the period 2011 to 2014 are healthy and positive and have created a good foundation for expansion in the future

30 Other options included (6th) Capacity building in microinsurance for insurance associations and other supporting institutions (7th) training for microinsurance professionals (8th) Actuarial risk tables covering the low-income market (9th) Reinsurance options

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 31: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

31

7 APPENDICES

7 Appendices

An initiative of the Microinsurance Net-work and the Munich Re Foundation the World Map of Microinsurance (WMM) is a platform for knowledge generation and sharing on microinsurance It hosts data and analysis from significant landscape studies which are displayed visually on an interactive world map at httpworldmapofmicroinsuranceorg

The history of landscape studiesThe pursuit of understanding the micro-insurance sector through the lens of data started with the MicroInsurance Centrersquos landmark study The Landscape of Mi-croinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 Poorest Countries published in 2007 This was followed by the studies listed below

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2009) based on 2008 data was published by the ILO- Microinsurance Innovation Facility now called Impact In-surance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Af-rica (2012) based on 2011 data conduct-ed by the MicroInsurance Centre was jointly published by the GIZ-Program Promoting Financial Sector Dialogue in Africa ldquoMaking Finance Work for Africardquo (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation in partnership with the African Develop-ment Bank Group the Microinsurance Network and the ILOrsquos Impact Insurance Facility

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (2012) based on 2011 data was conducted by the MicroInsurance Centre and commis-sioned and published by the Inter-Amer-ican Development Bank Group (IDB) and

its Multilateral Investment Fund It re-ceived funding from the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013 (2014) based on 2012 data conducted by MicroSave was jointly published by the Munich Re Foun-dation and GIZ in partnership with the Microinsurance Network

The Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean A changing market (2015) based on 2013 data was conducted by the MicroInsur-ance Centre and jointly published by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation under the World Map of Mi-croinsurance (WMM) programme It was co-funded by Bradesco Seguros CNseg IDB and its Multilateral Investment Fund the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the World Bank Group

Why do we need itInsurance is a data-driven industry and the WMM enables the sector to develop effectively producing more valuable products for clients whilst improving profitability for insurers As microinsur-ance is an emerging industry there is not sufficient data to create field-wide benchmarks on which to assess perfor-mance Data is critical to the advance-ment of microinsurance as it generates market knowledge facilitates market development furthers best practices and can lead to better products and services Country-level data is essential to effective pricing insurersrsquo ability to understand the low-income market and the development of quantitative goals and benchmarks On a company-level basis improving insurersrsquo knowledge of

the low-income market is mutually ben-eficial for both the insurer and the client Clients gain access to better products and insurers can expand their client base

What will it achieveUltimately the WMM will advance mi-croinsurance as a tool that can effec-tively protect low- income populations in developing countries against the crises that push them and trap them into pov-erty This can be achieved by providing insurers with the knowledge they need to create more valuable and effective products By gaining a better under-standing of the low- income market and the specific needs of the clients they serve firms can design products which meet the needs of their client-base at a price that is efficient The tractabil-ity of the data will allow firms to gain important information about the mar-ket they work in and subsequently will empower them to grow their business reaching even more low-income clients The platform is the destination for data and research on microinsurance Hav-ing data on microinsurance converge in one location creates a space for further knowledge generation collaboration and learning Creating a collective au-thority on microinsurance helps to gain respect and recognition for the industry and advances its status as an important tool for development worldwide

Appendix A The World Map of Microinsurance

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 32: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

32

2005 2008 2011

1st global microinsurance study Landscape of Microinsurance in the Worldrsquos 100 poorest Countries

1st regional study in Africa Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa

147 MILLION

78 MILLION people in 77 COUNTRIES covered by one or more microinsurance products

1st regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean

2nd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2012

444 MILLION 455 MILLION

AFRICA LANDSCAPE

486 MILLION

618 MILLION(2015)

(2014)

FIGURE 38 TIMELINE OF THE LANDSCAPE STUDIES

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 33: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

33

7 APPENDICES

20152012 2013 2014

2nd regional study in LAC Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean 2014

618 MILLION1704 MILLION IN PROGRESS

486 MILLION

3rd regional study in AfricaLandscape of Microinsurance in Africa 2015

1st regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013

2nd regional study in AsiaLandscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2016

1704 MILLION

(2012)

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

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Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 34: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

34

DefinitionThe microinsurance products pro-grammes qualifying for inclusion in the Africa landscape study were selected based on the following definition

For the purposes of this study prod-ucts should meet each of the following criteria to be considered as microinsur-ance Mass market products should be included if they meet this definition lim-ited data will also be collected on mass market products that do not conform to each of these criteria

i Developed for low-income people The product must have been devel-oped intentionally to serve low-in-come people (insurance that is not just purchased also by low-income people but products that are de-signed for low-income people)

ii Risk carrier Government must not be the sole risk carrier (not social security programmes) The pro-gramme has to be managed on the basis of insurance principles

iii Modest premium levels affordabil-ity The base minimum annual pre-mium amount is commensurate with the income level of the low-income sector in each country according to the risks insured (see table below)

Appendix B Definition and methodology of the study

The implications of this definition are as follows

Legal form The definition used for this study does not consider legal or regu-latory definitions at the country level Products do not have to be registered as microinsurance with the local supervi-sory authority but only to conform to the general criteria as above Therefore the data in this study will not always coincide with official country statistics on micro-insurance

i Developed for low-income people A key element of this studyrsquos definition is that products be intentionally designed for the low-income population not sim-ply that they are available to that popu-lation This excludes a number of insur-ance products that are mainly used by the middle-income population although the products may be financially acces-sible for the low-income population It is recognised that whilst a product is designed for these lower-income seg-ments it doesnrsquot mean that all clients are in fact part of that segment

Mass market products are considered as microinsurance for this study as long as they meet the other criteria stated in this definition It is this first criteria of target market that must be met This is a qualitative assessment attested to by the providers

ii Risk carrier Subsidised programmes are included as long as they are man-aged based on risk principles This allows for government-subsidised agri-culture schemes and other significantly subsidised programmes which have not been captured in previous landscape studies

iii Affordability In order to ensure that the study includes affordable products (as per microinsurance objectives) a set of premium limits was established by country and line of business Table 2 below provides a list of the premium caps by product type For consistency the percentages for life health and property were those used in the 2011 landscape study determined based on a review of products in several countries around the region and around the globe The percentages used were determined as effective approximations of the upper range of microinsurance products It is intended that these amounts serve as a gauge not hard and fast criteria The majority of reported products fall well under these caps

MethodologyData collection

The researchers for this study aimed to include all organisations offering prod-ucts fitting the specified microinsur-ance definition In order to target these organisations desk-research was con-ducted to identify all insurance providers in a country along with discussions and communications with regulators aggre-gators and other insurers or key stake-holders in the market

The primary mode of data collection was an online survey Almost 1000 regulated insurers and other potential microinsurance providers representing 54 countries across the continent were contacted via email and provided with information about the study and a link to the survey instrument Often the initial outreach was assisted by the insurance

TABLE 2MAXIMUM ANNUAL PREMIUMS AS PER STUDYrsquoS DEFINITION

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Local USD Local USD Local USD

Algeria DZD 8509 106 17019 213 4255 53

Angola AOA 11163 114 22325 228 5581 57

Benin XOF 7951 16 15902 32 3976 8

Botswana BWP 1229 139 2458 278 614 69

Burkina Faso XOF 6758 14 13516 27 3379 7

Burundi BIF 8308 6 16615 12 4154 3

Cabo Verde CVE 6255 76 12510 151 3127 38

Cameroon XAF 13128 26 26256 53 6564 13

Central African Republic XAF 3291 7 6583 13 1646 3

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 35: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

35

7 APPENDICES

Country Local currency

Life Accident 2

Health4

Prop Ag1

Chad XAF 10411 21 20822 42 5206 10

Comoros KMF 6039 16 12079 33 3020 8

Congo Dem Rep CDF 8907 10 17815 20 4454 5

Congo Rep XAF 31293 63 62586 125 15646 31

Cote drsquoIvoire XOF 15107 30 30214 60 7554 15

Djibouti DJF 5930 34 11860 68 2965 17

Egypt Arab Rep EGP 427 61 855 121 214 30

Equatorial Guinea XAF 203363 407 406725 813 101681 203

Eritrea ERN 167 11 334 22 84 6

Ethiopia ETB 184 9 368 19 92 5

Gabon XAF 114332 229 228663 457 57166 114

Gambia GMD 347 9 693 18 173 4

Ghana GHS 72 24 145 49 36 12

Guinea GNF 73303 7 146606 15 36652 4

Guinea-Bissau XOF 5570 11 11141 22 2785 6

Kenya KES 2145 25 4291 50 1073 12

Lesotho LSL 217 20 435 40 109 10

Liberia LRD 686 8 1372 16 343 4

Libya LYD 305 250 609 500 152 125

Madagascar MGA 20435 8 40869 16 10217 4

Malawi MWK 1650 4 3301 8 825 2

Mali XOF 7066 14 14132 28 3533 7

Mauritania MRO 6426 22 12852 45 3213 11

Mauritius MUR 5650 192 11301 383 2825 96

Morocco MAD 520 62 1040 125 260 31

Mozambique MZN 364 12 728 24 182 6

Namibia NAD 1099 102 2199 203 550 51

Niger XOF 4105 8 8209 16 2052 4

Nigeria NGN 9332 57 18664 114 4666 28

Rwanda RWF 8261 12 16521 25 4130 6

Sao Tome and Principe STD 594023 59 1188046 119 297012 30

Senegal XOF 10341 21 20682 41 5171 10

Seychelles SCR 3904 326 7808 653 1952 163

Sierra Leone SLL 58832 12 117664 24 29416 6

South Africa ZAR 1278 118 2556 236 639 59

South Sudan SSP 62 24 123 48 31 12

Sudan SDG 167 29 333 59 83 15

Swaziland SZL 586 54 1172 108 293 27

Tanzania TZS 22239 13 44478 27 11119 7

Togo XOF 6289 13 12577 25 3144 6

Tunisia TND 140 83 281 166 70 42

Uganda UGX 29592 12 59184 24 14796 6

Zambia ZMW 199 33 398 65 100 16

Zimbabwe USD 19 19 38 38 10 10

associations in each country A team of ten researchers followed up via phone and email to encourage participation provide support for filling out the sur-vey clarify or ask questions regarding the submitted data and ensure the final submissions were as complete and ac-curate as possible

The secondary mode of data collection on microinsurance products and pro-viders was internet and literature re-search of secondary sources including published and unpublished resources in English French Spanish and Portu-guese as well as academic journalistic corporate and consultant outlets These resources if within the time bounds of the study were used to address any gaps that could not be clarified by the insurer distribution channel or regulator

All respondents were volunteers and could discontinue their participation at any time There were a few incidents in which an organisation declined to par-ticipate in the study and in these cas-es researchers first worked to answer questions and address the organisationrsquos concerns about the study or find another method for providing the data If the or-ganisation continued to decline partici-pation every effort was made to contact a distribution channel regulator or ag-gregator that might possess the infor-mation on the microinsurance products offered by the declining organisations

For situations in which surveys were re-ceived from an insurer and distribution channel partnering to offer a microin-surance product product information was only kept from the insurer to avoid double counting those insured through the product However the organisational information and the market perceptions reported by both organisations were kept

The survey

The survey instrument was based pri-marily on the survey used for the prior landscape studies This was done inten-tionally to insure that data collected in this study would be comparable to the data collected previously

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 36: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

36

In an effort to capture more information and provide increasing value from the studies several sections were added to the survey These include

- A separate short survey for insur-ers that are not currently serving the low-income market The intention is to gain an understanding of why in-surance providers arenrsquot currently in this market whether they have an interest in or plans to serve low-income in the future and what their perspectives are on several microin-surance market factors

- A short survey for those providers who offer mass market products that reach low-income people that were not necessarily designed for that mar-ket and thus not meeting the defini-tion of microinsurance for this study

- For microinsurance providers a number of additional questions were included

- Additional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Data points were collected regarding com-missions administrative costs duration of claims settlement claim rejection rates and renew-al rates By gathering more data on KPIs we will begin to estab-lish and provide industry bench-marks to assist management in decision-making and for the first time the industry is able to have an indication of profitability

- Questions regarding subsidies and other external support

- Additional market perspectives By gathering feedback on insur-ersrsquo views of the market and sup-porting environment including specific aspects of regulation it is possible to provide better information for regulators poli-cymakers and industry associa-tions to form their microinsur-ance strategies

Considerations

Although most insurers and other or-ganisations were willing to provide data

it must still be considered that the ap-propriate information may not always have been available As in the rest of the developing world insurance accounting generally does not include a segrega-tion of microinsurance data Even when

A number of key performance indica-tors were collected for the first time or calculated in order to provide trend information The following list provides the definitions of the terms we use and the underlying calculations

Aggregate data refers to a summation of all reported data for a given indica-tor in effect it is a premium-weighted average For example aggregate claims ratio is calculated for all products re-porting both claims and premiums to the study as Total claims paid reported total gross written premium reported

Comparable data refers to changes over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period Because some providers did not submit data in both time periods and subsidised products were excluded in 2011 a cal-culation based purely on the numbers identified would be misleading Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth calculations in-clude only those products or providers for which information was available for both time periods including any market entrants or exits In the case of lives covered the lsquocomparable data setrsquo ac-counts for almost 90 of the ldquoidentifiedrdquo lives covered In the case of premiums 60 of identified premiums can be com-pared with 2011 data

Coverage ratios are calculated as simply the number of insuredstotal population in 2014 Comparable quan-tifiable definitions and measurements of the target market of microinsurance (low-income) across markets are not available and thus for purposes of com-parability total population is taken as the base

BOX 2 TERMINOLOGY AND CALCULATION FOR BUSINESS CASE AND OTHER KEY INDICATORS

Premium information refers to Gross Written Premium in 2014 USD Pre-mium data from 2011 was converted to 2014 USD to account for exchange rate fluctuations

Claims refers to the value of claims paid during 2014

Claims ratios are calculated as claims paid gross written premium Both claims and premium data were reported for 214 products accounting for USD 704 million in premium volume

Commission rates are calculated as commissions paid gross written pre-mium Commission data was provided for 179 products with a premium base of USD 535 million

Administrative costs are net of com-mission paid and thus reflect only costs incurred internally by the insurance provider Administrative cost data was reported for 147 products accounting for a premium base of USD 241 million

Expense ratios are calculated as admin-istrative costs gross written premium

Combined ratio is the summation of claim ratio commission rate and ad-ministrative ratio and were only calcu-lated if all three data points were pro-vided Combined ratios are believed to be a sufficient indicator of profitability in microinsurance as in most cases other elements affecting profitability ndash such as premiums ceded or investment income ndash are negligible All of the KPIs necessary to calculate combined ratio were pro-vided for 135 products accounting for USD 239 in premium (32 of the total identified market)

data is segregated insurers and other organisations do not always track their business in the same way Thus when necessary researchers contacted or-ganisations to clarify information to the greatest degree possible

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 37: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

37

7 APPENDICES

A major consideration regards what in-surers or others believe to be ldquomicroin-surancerdquo Although the project applies a clear definition of microinsurance and a model for counting policyholders and covered lives it is possible ndash indeed likely ndash that this definition will not correspond exactly to that used by an insuring entity or the government in a jurisdiction Thus data generated may not comply exactly with the definition put forth The overall effort focused on collecting microinsur-ance data related to those considered low-income and if possible complying directly or nearly with our definition Therefore data presented in this study will reflect ldquothose identifiedrdquo as covered with mi-croinsurance as opposed to an absolute number of people with microinsurance For these concerns again the research-ers made all possible efforts to contact organisations and clarify information

All of the data collected was self-re-ported and voluntarily submitted at the goodwill of the insurers distribution

channels aggregators regulators do-nors and other organisations involved with microinsurance Though every ef-fort was made to clarify and extract ac-curate and comparable data ultimately the studies rely on self-reported infor-mation In some cases institutions were reluctant to provide all of the requested information particularly some of the newly requested key performance indi-cator data Thus some of the aggregated information provided in this report only applies to the subset of respondents who were willing to provide all of the neces-sary underlying data points The paper indicates when this is the case and pro-vides an indication as to the composition of the subset

Finally the information presented in this paper regarding trends over the 2011 ndash 2014 time period is based on the sub-mission of data by providers in both time periods Though every effort was made to obtain responses from all of the par-ticipants in the 2011 study there were

some providers who declined participa-tion in this later study Over 95 of the market in terms of lives insured as iden-tified in 2011 was included in this 2014 study Those products that could not be accounted for in 2014 were excluded from any calculations regarding trends and growth Thus ldquocomparablerdquo growth rates will not directly reflect the absolute numbers

With these considerations it is important to recognise that the quantitative infor-mation presented in this paper does not represent an absolute number of prod-ucts clients or other data Rather this paper reports what the team was able to identify as microinsurance Although the data for this study is not an absolute measure of microinsurance in Africa the data set is large enough to represent the ldquolandscaperdquo of microinsurance and pro-vide an accurate picture of the market and where it is going

Appendix C Key figures by country

The following sections provide data on the key figures of gross written premi-ums lives covered and coverage ratios by country More detailed country-level data and analysis can be found on the World Map of Microinsurance website

Appendix C1 ndash Premiums

Table 3 below provides information on both total insurance industry gross

written premiums and microinsurance gross written premiums by country The study attempted to identify GWP at the national level for as many countries as possible The diverse sources used for this are provided in footnote 3031 Please note that the 2014 total of national GWPs in Africa reported by this study is USD 6932 billion This is slightly higher than the 2014 total premium volume of USD 6897 billion reported by Swiss Re Sigma

2015 publication which reported GWPs for ten African countries and the remain-ing amount in an lsquoother countriesrsquo cat-egory Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 6 only takes into account those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

31 Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Algeria 159700 14125 884 063 004

Angola 114200 - 000 - 000

TABLE 3GROSS WRITTEN PREMIUMS BY COUNTRY ndash TOTAL INSURANCE AND MICROINSURANCE

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 38: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

38

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Benin 3047+ 059 195 147 6730 481

Botswana 44748 25347 5664 082 16642 018

Burkina Faso 426+ 2556 5999 596 -2651 1398

Burundi No data 085 010 238

Cape Verde 2464 - 000 - 000

Cameroon 11218+ 060 054 075 21155 067

Central African Republic 047+ - 000 - 000

Chad 437+ - 000 - 000

Comoros No data 056 013 -667

Congo Dem Rep No data 685 246 19159

Congo Rep 2377+ 696 2928 082 346

Cote drsquoIvoire 25069+ 980 391 625 5178 249

Djibouti No data - -

Egypt 204192~ 047 002 021 -3876 001

Equatorial Guinea 327+ - 000 - 000

Eritrea No data - -

Ethiopia 25453^ 4563 1793 1555 15149 611

Gabon 5687+ - 000 - 000

Gambia 578deg - 000 - 000

Ghana 41572macr 9558 2299 451 -2122 108

Guinea No data 002 002

Guinea-Bissau No data - -

Kenya 186064infin 87127 4683 2853 9230 153

Lesotho 8408rdquo - 000 - 000

Liberia No data - -

Libya No data - 000 - 000

Madagascar No data - 023 8054

Malawi 8784` 2174 2474 115 310091 131

Mali 2077+ 047 228 098 901 473

Mauritania No data 001 002 1848

Mauritius 76600 - 000 - 000

Morocco 343459 9035 263 359 010

Mozambique 27501gtgt 3698 1345 128 047

Namibia 99529 12842 1290 1536 70065 154

Niger 1468+ - 000 No data

Nigeria 171393 47399 2765 780 -2895 046

Rwanda 1185⸗ 480 405 001 -7504 001

Sao Tome and Principe 215ꜘ - 000 - 000

Senegal 6817+ 057 084 131 -3593 192

Seychelles 1756 - 000 - 000

Sierra Leone No data 085 018 412381

Somalia No data - -

South Africa 5061619lsaquo 566815 1120 60886 6621 120

South Sudan No data - -

Sudan 45000ⱶ 15054 3345 018 50411 004

Swaziland 6892 4231 6138 515 6347 748

Tanzania 28446 754 265 1814 42581 638

Togo 4492+ 2463 5483 283 -4117 630

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 39: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

39

7 APPENDICES

32 The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 124145 59975 124080 - - - 124080 124145

Benin 223645 683 620 114128 30396 108417 620 1100

Botswana 57097 1414 56847 - - - 250 -

Burkina Faso 482715 1185 336992 231738 378300 147170 20000 9610

Burundi 125654 438 12500 - - 113154 - -

Cameroon 408693 5691 2566 3348 1272 405100 - -

Comoros 63767 2282 - - - 63767 - -

Congo Dem Rep 255270 185 36232 - - 255270 101515 232

Congo Rep 2570 2570 - - - - -

Cote drsquoIvoire 151268 1231 117681 39603 117681 33387 - 200

Egypt 270013 328 253836 267933 270013 - - -

Ethiopia 1825151 -110 - 1793044 - - 24710 32107

Gambia - - - - - - -

Ghana 7664084 3369 5383532 2472732 4817394 4090696 1318 2115

Guinea 36999 -891 - - - 36999 - -

Kenya 2722489 1121 1098243 1698691 407606 785714 289670 173830

Libya - - - - - - -

Madagascar 50535 1928 2293 48242 50535 2293 - -

TABLE 4IDENTIFIED LIVES COVERED BY COUNTRY32

Appendix C2 - Lives insured and coverage ratios

Table 4 below provides identified lives covered by country for the broad types of microinsurance whilst Table 5 Cov-erages ratios by country lists microin-surance coverage ratios (lives insured total population) by country and product

Total insurance industry premiums Microinsurance (MI) premiumsCountry National total

GWP (USD millions)

Total insurance GWP (USD

millions) reported by MI providers

reporting to study

Reported GWP as of total

national GWPs

MI GWP reported to study (USD

millions)

Comparable MI premium growth from 2011 - 2014

MI GWP as a of total national

GWPs

Tunisia 88800 - 000 No data

Uganda 20192῟ 2037 1009 026 -7379 013

Zambia 30509΅ 000 1660 207492 544

Zimbabwe 55049Dagger 7182 1305 372 -8693 068

Total 6932298 820301 1172 75583 6253 108

Sources for National Total Premium Volume Swiss Re Sigma 2015 Report + CIMA 2014 Annual Report ~ EFSA 2014 Annual Report ^ AIO Report Junea 2014 deg Central Bank of Gambia 2013 Report macr NIC 2014 data acute AIO Report 2013 infin IRA Kenya 2014 Annual Report ldquo Cenfri MAP Market Report 2012 ` Reserve Bank of Malawi 2014 Financial Institutions gtgt ISSM 2014 Annual Report NAMFISA 2014 Annual Report ⸗ National Bank of Rwanda 20142015 Report ꜘ Central Bank of STP 2014 Annual Report FSA 2014 Annual Report lsaquo FSB 2014 Report ⱶ Asia Insurance Review 2014 article FSRA 2013 Annual Report TIRA 2013 Annual Report ῟ IRA Uganda 2014 Annual Report ΅ PIA 2014 WP reported on website Dagger IPEC 2014 Annual Report

group PLEASE NOTE that the rdquoTotalsrdquo columns in these tables are not the sum of the individual product types As the majority of products offer multiple cov-ers the sum of the subtotals is almost always greater than the total number of insured For example a product that offers cover for credit life funeral and hospital cash will be counted once each

under the Credit Life Life and Health categories but would be considered as one unique life covered in the lsquototalrsquo col-umn Also please note that comparable growth reported in column 3 of Table 4 takes into account only those institutions reporting data for both 2011 and 2014 plus new market entrants

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 40: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

THE LANDSCAPE OF MICROINSURANCE IN AFRICA 2015 THE WORLD MAP OF MICROINSURANCE

40

TABLE 5COVERAGE RATIOS BY COUNTRY33

33 The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Comparable growth in total lives covered

(from 2011-2014)

Life (non-

credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Malawi 275634 232 275634 207034 120600 123000 120000 -

Mali 133177 194 - 69921 69921 63015 - 241

Mauritania 10543 875 - - - 10543 - -

Mauritius - - - - - - -

Morocco 424196 17760 285620 60576 285620 352413 40455 29000

Mozambique 84500 -374 38000 12000 - 25000 - 21500

Namibia 348532 -849 192749 42835 54290 32669 117827 -

Niger 31606 - 31606 - 31606 - -

Nigeria 1824062 180 540903 593033 1615958 665981 549900 549900

Rwanda 144700 19671 200 - 200 - - 144500

Senegal 162827 28 - 100605 100605 56522 - 5700

Sierra Leone 2126 757 2126 756 756 - 756 756

South Africa 34556734 95 30605885 6547341 1346954 - 706884 350

Sudan 447033 642213 - - - 380000 43653 23380

Swaziland 271393 707 271377 54377 86000 16 16 16

Tanzania 1989914 -391 1528580 460534 461334 236000 - -

Togo 238905 149 2606 230865 2784 3905 1529 -

Tunisia 246788 259 246788 246788 246788 - - -

Uganda 2 607367 697 2408607 164160 2573623 225971 2379023 -

Zambia 3338932 26545 2456609 875713 - 5020 - 9610

Zimbabwe 157258 -908 92000 - 74000 106228 - 1030

Total 61760322 294 46375676 16367603 13112630 8359856 4522206 1129322

The lives covered table only includes studied countries that reported MI in either 2011 2014 or both years The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in neither 2011 nor in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Algeria 031 031 000 000 000 031 031

Benin 211 001 108 029 102 001 001

Botswana 280 279 000 000 000 001 000

Burkina Faso 277 193 133 217 084 011 006

Burundi 120 012 000 000 108 000 000

Cameroon 179 001 001 001 178 000 000

Comoros 847 000 000 000 847 000 000

Congo Dem Rep 037 005 000 000 037 015 000

Congo Rep 006 006 000 000 000 000 000

Cote drsquoIvoire 073 057 019 057 016 000 000

Egypt 032 030 032 032 000 000 000

Ethiopia 189 000 186 000 000 003 003

Ghana 2898 2036 935 1822 1547 000 001

Guinea 031 000 000 000 031 000 000

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 41: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

41

7 APPENDICES

Country Total Life (non-credit)

Credit Life PA Health Property Agri

Kenya 598 241 373 089 173 064 038

Madagascar 021 001 020 021 001 000 000

Malawi 164 164 123 072 073 071 000

Mali 084 000 044 044 040 000 000

Mauritania 026 000 000 000 026 000 000

Morocco 127 085 018 085 105 012 009

Mozambique 032 014 005 000 009 000 008

Namibia 1484 821 182 231 139 502 000

Niger 017 000 017 000 017 000 000

Nigeria 102 030 033 091 037 031 031

Rwanda 120 000 000 000 000 000 119

Senegal 112 000 069 069 039 000 004

Sierra Leone 003 003 001 001 000 001 001

South Africa 6399 5668 1212 249 000 131 000

Sudan 115 000 000 000 098 011 006

Swaziland 2141 2141 429 678 000 000 000

Tanzania 392 301 091 091 046 000 000

Togo 342 004 330 004 006 002 000

Tunisia 224 224 224 224 000 000 000

Uganda 671 620 042 663 058 612 000

Zambia 2223 1635 583 000 003 000 006

Zimbabwe 108 063 000 051 073 000 001

Total 543 408 144 115 074 040 010

The coverage ratios table only includes studied countries that reported MI in 2014 The following countries were included in the study but reported no MI in 2014 Angola Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Gabon Gambia Guinea-Bissau Lesotho Liberia Libya Mauritius Sao Tome and Principe Seychelles Somalia South Sudan

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 42: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related

About the Microinsurance Network

The Microinsurance Network is a platform of over 300 microinsurance experts from over 40 countries dedicated to promoting access to valuable microinsurance to low-income populations

Find out more wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorg

Read our publications wwwmicroinsurancenetworkorgresources

Twitter NetworkFlash

Microinsurance Network39 rue GlesenerL-1631 LuxembourgTel +352 26 29 78infomicroinsurancenetworkorg

Page 43: The Landscape of Microinsurance Africa 2015 · The publication is protected by the law of the 18th April 2001 of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg concerning copyright databases and related